Friday, March 29, 2024

How to get your home organized

 




Why having an organized home is important. 

People commonly don’t consider organizing as a high-priority task. Making the effort to be organized is truly helpful. It is beneficial for finding things.  You can find what you need and can save time.

 When you’re organized, you can differentiate between what items need to be discarded. It also ensures the safety of your items. In the long run, organizing your home will save you time, money, and stress. 

Contains affiliate links and widgets from Collective Voice in which I earn a small commission for you clicking and or purchasing any of these items. Thank you for your support! 




How to declutter your home 

Decluttering your home can be done in stages, not all at once. Take one room or task at a time. 

Get rid of all the old storage containers in the room. Throw away any broken containers. If you have lost the tops to containers, throw them away. Clean your drawers, containers, shelves, and floors before organizing. 




Kitchen Tips and Organization Items 








Store Items in Zones 



Group items in your kitchen


 Group items in your kitchen by function. In your cooking space, have your pans near the stove or oven. 

You can use a rack for pans or simply place hooks on a bank space near your stove. Place cooking utensils in a drawer closest to where you cook. 


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Place your spices and seasons near your cooking area. 

Keeping Food Fresh 




Image by Taryn Elliot 

Do you have a problem with keeping perishables fresh? Do you notice how items such as crackers keep getting broken? To stop your food from going bad, store them in storage jars or containers. Make sure the containers you choose are airtight. That way your food lasts longer.  Make sure that it is a see-through item. That way you can see when you are running out of food. 


By also placing these items in containers and jars you are also allowing you to have more space in your kitchen. Clean your jars and containers before placing your food in them. 



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Clean Your Shelves. 

Make sure to clean the shelves before placing your containers on the shelves. 


How to use awkward spaces

Gas Range in Kitchen by coreals 


Do you have a space in your kitchen that is hard to access? Use a lazy Susan in that corner. Place items that you use daily on the lazy Suzy. Like your spices, sugar, or condiments. A small rack would be useful in a corner as well. 

You can also use the lazy- susan in the refrigerator. 




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Refrigerator 


Image by Lucie Liz 

How to organize your refrigerator 


 Your top shelf and door are the warmest places in your refrigerator. The middle and bottom are the coldest. Place dairy products on the top shelf. Place meat products in the middle. Put your condiments in the door. Store vegetables and fruit in the middle. 

Make sure you store your perishables front and center. You won’t forget to use them if you can see the items.

Separate your fruits and vegetables to prevent them from spoiling faster. You can place each item in individual containers. 

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Protect your refrigerator from spillage by placing refrigerator mats under things that can leak. Such as any meat you place in the fridge


Containers 

Get rid of mismatched container lids or containers that don’t have lids. 

You can place all your lids on a rack like this. 



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Cabinets 

If you don’t have a large walk-in pantry, make use of your cabinet space. Have a designated spot for your dry goods and snacks. You can also use racks to hang on the cabinet door.


Dishes 


Sort your dishes. Put all of the dishes you use day to day on the lower shelf. The upper shelves can be for your fancy dishes, which you use for special occasions or holidays. 


Use your lower cabinet space to store large appliances that you don't use a lot. Like your mixers or an ice cream machine. 


Drawers 


To keep your drawer from becoming junky, get a drawer organizer. That way you can put every utensil in a safe space. 

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Wall Space 


Place hooks on the wall to hang items on. You can hang your aprons, pots, or pans on the hooks. 



Dining Room 








Place cabinetry that complements the furniture in your dining room. You can place your dishes and holiday table decor in the storage cabinet. 


A side table would also be useful if you don't have room for your cutlery. You can also use it for a junk drawer for mail. 




Your Office 




Section your office in three areas.  Then you have your work center. That would be the space where you would work. The second your reference area. The reference area would be where you place your manuals, dictionaries, and reference books. The third space is your supply area. 


Desktop or work area 


Only place items you need daily on your desktop. To get things organized use a desktop organizer to keep things in their proper place. 








You can also use space under your desk for things you use a lot. If that is too much of a hassle a small cart beside your desk would also allow you to have the things you need close by. If you use your printer or scanner a lot, keep it near your desk.

Reference area 

The reference area should be out of the way but easy to access. 
These would be your books, files, folders and other items that you only need occasionally.

Mail Storage 


I know mail tends to collect in the living room. But make a space for your mail here. You will have important documents and bills in a safer area. If you still tend to allow mail to clutter up your living room, place a basket for all documents you may need later. If there is anything you want to keep, you can store it in a locked safe in your office. 



The items you should keep are your tax returns, insurance policies, birth certificates, account and loan information. Label these items and lock them away. 










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Supply area

This is the area you use for storing your supplies. Supplies are your writing paper, extra notebooks, new sticky notes, and other office items you will use over time. This zone should be away from your desk. The best place for this area is near a blank wall.  

Get rid of any old, damaged, or useless item you have used. Use what you have before you buy anything else. 

Wall Storage 

Mounted wall storage is a good thing to have in your office. This can be where you store your supplies. 



Hallway closet 














Do you have old baskets you don't use? How about a container? You can use these items to store your towels or linens in these containers. 


Don't want to use your hallway closet for linen, use it for something else. 

If your closet does not have shelves, you can also use this place to place your mops, buckets, and other cleaning items. 

Or you can use this space to put your hats, coats, and umbrellas in. Just have hangers for coats. Place the smaller coats on one side. The other side is for larger coats. Put bags, purses, and book bags on hooks. 

Place shoes and boots on the floor. 

Make sure everything is clean before placing them in the closet.



 Your Living Room or Den 



Ottomans are a great way to store items such as throws, magazines, or remotes. This would keep your living room or den from being cluttered. They can function also as a space to sit on. Some are smaller and you can use them as a footrest. 

Side table

A small side table can be where placing your mail. Place the mail either in your drawer or you can you this. 


Your entryway 




Get hooks to place your coats and umbrella on. You can also place your bookbags and purses on it.  It is a simple and inexpressive way to store items. It also allows your space to be less cluttered. 

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You can also place your small umbrellas in a basket on the floor. 
Wait until items are dry or clean, then place them in the basket. 

Susannah Towsend 


If you place your shoes at the entryway, you may need shoe storage. That way you keep your shoes by their but keep out of your way. 

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If you have a large entryway. You could use a storage bench. You can use the bench to keep extra linen items. If you have kids that are in sports you can keep their items in there. Clean in before putting in the bench. 



Your Bathroom 




If you don't have a large vanity or bathroom closet, you can use more storage. For the small bathroom get a tall cabinet to place toiletries and cleaning products. 

For those with a large vanity, put your cleaning products under the sink. Get a bin or shower caddy and place your cleaning products in it. 


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Use wall space for shower items. Use this hanging hook to place your items in. You can also use over the door storage for your towels. 



Wooden hanger with towels and bathroom products by Karolina Grabowka 


Place adhesive hooks on walls or the back for your door to hang your bathrobe towel.


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Purge hygiene products regularly.



Do you possess a collection of shampoos that are older than two years? It’s time to do away with it. Most products shelf life is 10 months. 

Put your remaining hair care products into a plastic tube. 

Throw away outdated makeup. If you use old makeup, you can get a bacterial infection. 

Put whatever remains into a makeup container. 

Keep cotton swabs, tips, and pads in separate containers. That way you can keep up with these items and they would be clean. 

Store your backup supplies in a different location.

The extra toiletries, first aid kit, etc. place them in your linen closet. You can put them in flat containers will make it easy to stack. 




        Your Bedroom 


Get rid of clutter in your room. Anything you have not used in six months to a year, get rid of it. Don’t try to do it in one day. You will feel overwhelmed if you choose to do it in one day. Do one small area. Once you complete it, you are done for the day. 

Before getting started, ask yourself these questions: Is it functional? Is it in good condition? Does it look good? If the answer is no to any of those questions, get rid of it. 




Your Closet 




Before taking everything out of your closet, think about how you want everything to be arranged. Think about where you want your accessories, clothing, and shoes to be placed. Have the containers, hooks, or other things you may need to organize your closet.

Then take everything out of your closet. Get rid of what is old, broken, or what you can't use anymore. 

Accessories 

Place bags and wallets on your shelves. If you don’t have enough room for those items, get hooks and place them on the inside of your closet. That way you can hang those bags, hats, scarves, or wallets there. Belts can also hang on some of those hooks. 

Over-the-door racks are good for other accessories you may not have room for in your closet. 


Fold and stack. 

For your t-shirts and sweaters, you can fold and stack them on your shelves.


Dresser 

use your dresser for smaller items. such as undershirts, underwear, and socks. 

Use space under your bed. 

If there are some things you have but don't have room for it, you can store it under your bed. You can place plastic bins or this cloth storage. You can place your shoes or extra blankets in these containers. 



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Get rid of the items on your nightstand. 

Do you have a cluttered nightstand? Get rid of your clutter. Get rid of the items you don’t need in the middle of the night. Place those items in a space drawer on your nightstand. 


Keep things you immediately need when waking up, such as your glasses place in a neat box or caddy. Place the caddy on your nightstand. You could also get this beside caddy.


End of the bed storage 

Have an ottoman or chest that you don’t use. Use it as storage. Place your larger items such as blankets, comforters, sheets, or other linen. You could also place clothing that is not in season in this space. Use the end-of-bed storage for whatever you don’t have room for in your closet. 


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Your wall 

Have a few items you want to keep in your room but have no place to store them? Adding a few simple shelves in your bedroom would allow you to have more space. 


Laundry Room






Use wall-mounted storage to keep mops and brooms organized. Sometimes Command hooks may be all you need. 

If you have cabinets, make use of it. Store laundry items in it such as your detergent, starch, and other items in your cabinets. Keep the items you use the most on the lower shelf. When storing things in lower cabinets, make sure you use a child-proof look. This advice is for people who have pets or children at home. 

Don’t have a lot of cabinet space? Use small carts to store your detergent and other laundry products. 


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For Small Laundry Spaces 


For those who have a small laundry area 

Place your detergents on the shelf. If your u still doesn't have room think about placing an over-the-door shelf to store small items, like laundry pods or dryer sheets. 






Garage or Barn  


Storage rack is useful for anyone with a lot of tools in their garage. 


If your garage is not large or if you don't have room use the stacking cubes instead. These cubes you can secure, roll, and stack.

For your yard tools, this rack would be perfect. You could also use this rack if you prefer storing items on the wall. There are nine hooks. You can place your brooms, rakes, spades, or whatever you use. This rack can hold up to 600 pounds. It won't chip or rust. The rack is waterproof. You can move the hooks once you attach them to the rail. 


Outdoor play items can be stored in the garage. Use a separate rack to store these items. 

Small Items need small storage.

Place small nails or bits, in this box. That way you can store them and don't have to worry about them being loose. 

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Conclusion 

Pick a room you can get done in a day. Pick a time when you can focus on getting one room done. If you need help from somebody, ask. Remember it took time to accumulate clutter, it will take time to organize. Take your time and do what you can. 



Friday, March 22, 2024

Get Comfy with These Spring Mysteries

 



Cozy Spring Mysteries 


What are cozy mysteries? Cozy mysteries are books that include a small cast of characters. In small towns, the individuals live. The towns have an abundance of gardens and idyllic settings. The individuals involved are regular people but have a cheery outlook on life. You find the people having fairs or fetes. They have one place where they gather.  The community of people is a very tightknit community, where people usually get along. 

But there is a crime.  Which the habitats find shocking because everyone gets along. The author does not describe the crime in gory details. The deceased most of the time is a person no one had affection for. 

Readers read these books to escape. Or if you are like me, you just read them because you love suspenseful stories but hate gory violence. I also like them because cozies have women protagonists. Their curiosity knows no bounds as they delve into the mysteries around them.  

Looking for a spring escape? Read these cozy spring-themed mystery books. 


Contains affiliate links and widgets from Collective Voice and Books Amillion in which I earn a small commission for you clicking and or purchasing any of these items. Thank you for your support! 



Book images come from Booksamillion and Amazon. 



Easter Bunny Murder 


Lucy Stone is glad she gets to cover the Easter Egg Hunt for the local newspaper. Wealthy socialite Vivan van Vorst hosts the Easter egg hunt. She hosts it every year at her oceanfront home. When Lucy arrives at Vivan's home,  she can't enter. Someone locked the gate. She only sees a person dressed in an Easter Bunny costume. The costumed person drops dead at the fence.  

I enjoyed reading this book. Vivan van Vorst led a secret life. It was not what I expected. I enjoyed how Lucy was able to figure it out. 

You can find it here or in your local library. 


Mother's Day Murder 




Lucy Stone's family has taken her out to brunch for Mother's Day. Everything is going well until two women cause a scene at the restaurant. The two women are revivals and often get into arguments. However, this turns deadly when one lady is dead. 


Find It Here, or at Your Local Library 


Digging Up Dirt 




Poppy McGowen is working on a renovation project. When her builder finds a dead body on the premises, she has to pause the project. When an archeologist states that the body is from a rare animal, the police stop her home renovation. Another appears and this time it is the archeologist. There are a lot of secrets in Poppy's home. Secrets that no one wants to discover. 


Find it here, or at Your Local Library



A Catered Mother's Day 



It’s Mother’s Day in Longley, New York. Ellen feels unappreciated. She feels overworked and is tired of being overlooked. Her family forgets her birthday and anniversary. 


To get back at them, she stages her own kidnapping as a prank. The phony note she sent led her husband to a hotel room. When he arrives, he the police are arresting Ellen for the murderer. The police discovered a dead man in her room. The police accuse her of murdering the man. When she tells the cops she is innocent, they do not believe her, especially when she says she faked her kidnapping. Now it is up to Bernie and Libby Simmons to help Ellen prove her innocence.  


Find it Here and at your local library. 




The Diva Digs up the Dirt 


Natasha, Sophia's neighbor, is determined. She is determined to be the next garden variety diva. Natasha comes up with a plan to have Sophia on TV. Natasha wants to feature Sophia's garden on TV. The cast and crew of the makeover show Tear it Up with Troy bulldoze through her backyard. Sophia stays at her boyfriend's house. While at his house, she replaces a dead rose bush. While digging, she finds a purpose to belong to Wolf's missing wife. 


Rumors start flying that Wolf killed his wife.  Wolf leaves town out of fear. Then someone found a body in the garden. Now Natasha and Sophia have to find out what really happened. 


This book includes recipes and entertaining tips.  


Find it Herehere, or at your local library 


The Proof of the Pudding 





party. She wants to celebrate as she waits for the birth of her first child. She also wants to show off her new chef. Pierre. Sir Hubert is also coming home from an expedition. The dinner party goes well. Sis Mortimer Mordred, the famous author of Gothic horror novels, is one guest. He just brought the manor nearby and wants to show his poison garden. He asks to borrow Georgie's new chef. Sir Mortimer events Georgiana and her husband to his party. 


When they arrive, they take a tour of his poison garden. They also look at Sir Mortimer's laboratory. After the banquet, several guests fall ill. One of them dies after supposedly eating poisoned berries from the garden. But Georgie questions how this can be since everyone ate the same food. Georgie has to find the culprit since the police murderaccuse her of murder. 

Find it Here, or at your local library 



Aunt Dimity and the Widows Curse 




Early April Lori Shepard is glad to be at home with her toddler Beth. Lori's sons and husband are spending Easter break camping. Lori takes Beth to a village meeting. At the meeting, Mrs. Annabelle Craven speaks up and says she wants to host a quilting bee. This surprises Lori and others because Mrs. Annabelle is usually shy around others. 


Lori attends the quilting bee. Lori sits near Mrs. Annabelle and asks her questions about her life. Lori knows little about her. Mrs. Annabelle opens up to Lori. She tells Lori a shocking secret about her husband's death. Lori is stunned that Annabelle would say such a thing. This revelation causes Lori to do some investigating. 


With the help of Aunt Dimity, Lori goes to another village. When at Old Coweron, she talks to the residents of the town. She wants to know about this "widow's curse". The deeper Lori finds the truth, the worse the stories get. In the end, she finally finds the truth. 


Out of all the books, this one is the coziest. The author makes the mystery less violent than most mystery writers. The stories usually take place in a quiet village filled with nosey neighbors. The mysteries usually are about a secret or finding someone. It has a paranormal element to it. Lori talks to her deceased aunt via writings in the journal. 


Find it Here or at your local library. 


The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush






Spring of 1933 everyone has money problems. The only person not struggling for cash is the moonshiner, Mickey LeDoux. His main problem is staying away from the federal government. The Great Depression is going on. Nobody has access to the money in their bank accounts. Banks are closing down, and people are panicking.


 Several town leaders gather together to solve the problem. The bank president, Alvin Duffy, made a plan to help the town. He and others would print money on the newspaperman Charles Dicken's printing press. The money they printed can serve as temporary currency for the town. 


When the first scrip of the money disappears, those involved in the scheme are trying to figure out who made money on their own. 


Treasurer Verna Tidwell questioned whether she could trust Alvin. Verna likes Alvin and always has liked him. Liz Lancy also has a man she loves. However, he is about to have a shotgun wedding with someone else. The members of the town have issues. Hopefully, they can solve them. 


 Find it Here or at your Local Library 

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake 





Hannah Swenson is busy with Easter bakery orders. Plus, she has to prepare for her mother's dinner party. When her sister Andrea calls and says the mayor is dead, Hannah forgets about her plans. Especially when the police considered Andrea the prime suspect. 

Mayor Bascomb was a bully, but days before his death he was behaving differently. Hannah suspects he may have been in some trouble. 


Death of Mad Hatter




Scarlet Parker and her British cousin, Vivian Tremont, are looking forward to being involved in a tea party.  Scarlet and Vivian own a hat shop on London’s chic Portobello Road. They have to create hats from the Alice and Wonderland-themed tea party. The tea party is a fundraiser for the Children's Hospital. 

Scarlet and Parker are happy to design hats for the Grisby family. The Grisby family is hosting the event. 

One Grisby heir does not live to see the event. Someone poisoned one heir. When a trace of the poison on found on the hat Scarlet and Vivian made it for him. The police now think Scarlet and Vivian are involved. 

Here



Sweet Tea Revenge 





Theodosia Browning’s dear friend Delaine Dish has asked her to be her bridesmaid. But on the day of the wedding, so many things go wrong. First, there is a storm coming on the coast of Charleston.  Then Delaine's sister is late for the wedding. The groom does not show up for the Wedding and is instead found dead. Theodosia consols the best friend, and then looks to find the murderer. She has a host of suspects. The groom and bride's family have motives to kill the groom. 

Here

Lemon Curd killer




Another Theodosia mystery. This time the tea maven has been asked to host a limon tea party. The party is held in an actual lemon orchard. The event will start the Charleston Fashion Week. 

A fashion designer is murder. The designer's daughter begs Theodosia to help find the killer. 

Here or Here or Your Local Library 


Tea and Treachery 



Lily Roberts is the head pastry chef and owner of Tea by the Sea. Lily has her hands full dealing with her business and grandmother, Rose. Rose has a Bed and Breakfast near Lily's business. Jack Ford is an aggressive developer. He wants to build a gold resort. His new real estate development would destroy Lily and Rose's business.


Every business impacted is upset with Ford. Someone murdered Ford and left his body at Rose's business. The police believe Rose had something to do with the murder. Now Lily must find others who disliked Ford. Ford had enemies throughout the town and Lily must find out which one killed Ford.

 

Here or Here or at your local library. 

The Potted Gardener



Agatha Raisin, a private detective in the garden, is upset that her ex-James Lacey is seeing a new woman in the neighborhood. Everyone thinks Mary Fortune is perfect. She is pretty and has a wonderful garden. This new woman's garden and her looks are getting everyone's attention. Agatha tries her hand at gardening but fails. Agatha Raisin then tries to get James' attention by solving a case. 


Agatha has found a case. Someone is destroying beautiful gardens in the village. These gardens all have one thing in common. The gardeners place their gardens in a local contest. Also, all the gardeners have run-ins with the new woman. Someone finds a body in a garden. 

Agatha and James are working together to solve the murder. 


MC Beaton, the writer of this series, has a dry sense of humor. Her characters swear, and she includes romance in her books. If you like books like that, you will enjoy this book. The main character, Agatha, can be over the top and get herself in a lot of trouble. That is what I love most about this series. 

Find it Here or Here or in your local library. 



Conclusion: 


These mysteries have good plots involving events that happen in Spring. You will discover one that you enjoy reading. If you find one, let me know what you thought about it. 


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