Tip Two:
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Pick up as you go. Instead of leaving a trail of items behind you as you go through your day, put them away as you use them. For example, when I do my hair,  instead of leaving the comb, blow dryer and curling iron out afterwards, I put them all away when I'm done using them. They each have a home in my bathroom, helping to keep my counters clutter free. This step is, of course, much easier if you have a home for everything, so getting organized first is a key to success. Imagine picking up as you go instead of spending entire afternoons on the weekend putting things away throughout your home, or in the evenings the day before your cleaning service comes. It is a time saver and makes household maintenance much easier in the long run.

Tip Three:
Keep like-with-like. If you organize everything in your home this way, you will be able to find what you need when you need it. This means, for example, all of your vases together, all of your spare home décor together, and all of your candles together.  

​This is especially important in your kitchen. A pantry and kitchen organized this way will save you time and money. Like-with-like makes it so you don’t over-purchase because you can see how much you have of each category. It also allows you to organize items into a space that fits the entire category together. If the category doesn’t fit in once space, it is time to pick a new space or declutter some of that category.

These three tips are easy to remember but harder to implement. It takes discipline and time initially, but once you get organized, these tips will maintain organization in your home in a simple way that will become habit. You’ll do them without even thinking. Make a sign to hang on your fridge or in your office that says Throw Trash Away Right Away, Pick up as You Go and Like with Like until you have them memorized. It’s amazing how much stress these tips eliminate and how much time and money it will save you. Begin today, and you will not regret it!

Cheers to getting and staying organized!

​Melissa Fortino

It’s that time of year when we’re hosting, taking dishes to loved ones’ homes to share, and cooking and baking more than usual. Organizing your refrigerator and freezer this time of year can help ensure you’re totally prepared for the big holidays that are about to hit! 

Step 1: Sort and Purge
I recommend completely organizing the fridge first, and then the freezer so your food isn’t sitting out as long.  Begin by going through all of your food in refrigerator, looking for signs of mold, rot and expired dates. Compost, pitch, or put down the garage disposal as needed. Be sure to note when the expiration dates on condiments are listed for when it’s stayed unopened in your fridge vs if it should have been used within a set number of days once opened. For example, mayonnaise is good for 2 months after opening, and chicken broth generally lists 7-10 days once opened. In the future, if you’re not already doing it, I recommend labeling the condiments directly on the container with the "opened on" date with a permanent marker. This is a foolproof method to remember when you opened each container. As you purge the items you don’t want anymore, sort the items that you do want, like with like. Use your kitchen counter to sort onto. Once you’re done sorting and purging then move on to step 2. Remember, you’ll repeat this same process in your freezer once the fridge is complete.

Step 2: Organize and Contain
Now it’s time to put everything back in the fridge! For some people, getting an egg organizer, special bottles for beverages like milk and orange juice and other containers for transferring food into is a dream come true. For others, it’s a nightmare with an additional step. This is completely a personal preference. You know you, and if it’s going to make you happy, then do it! If it’s going to make your life harder, then skip it! No matter what the container is for your eggs, milk and OJ, you’ll want to store like items together throughout your fridge and freezer. I often put vegetables in one produce drawer, fruit in the other, meat and cheese in the skinny deli drawer, maintain an open spot for eggs to live, clear a spot on the top shelf for leftovers to stay together (again dated with the prepared on date is a great way to steer clear of foodborne illnesses).  It's helpful to have a tall spot, either in the main part of the fridge or on your door, for large beverage containers. Lastly store condiments in the door, keeping like with like, or on lazy Susans if you have room on a shelf. Clear acrylic, fridge-safe containers can also be helpful to create division on your shelves to contain categories. No matter what, always measure before you buy containers! In a freezer it’s the same idea, like with like: smoothie ingredients together, ice packs all together, dinners together, and so on. You are creating a home for each category to make it easy to find what you need and to put groceries away quickly and easily.

Step 3: Label & Walk-through
Now that you have everything in place, it’s time to get your label maker out and label the containers you put into place. Once you’ve labeled everything, it’s time to give the whole family a walk-through. Show them where things ended up, explain the changes you made and why you made them, and talk about the importance of putting things back in their new homes. The labels will help with this, as they serve as a roadmap to an organized fridge and freezer system. This is also a good time to talk with your spouse/partner about checking the fridge and freezer and making a grocery list before they go grocery shopping to help eliminate duplicates and excess food, which leads to waste and things going bad before you've had a chance to eat them.  

I know this will make life easier for you as the holidays approach. Opening up an organized refrigerator and freezer is truly a great feeling!

Happy Thanksgiving & enjoy your newly organized fridge & freezer!

If it's time to go through your or your family’s clothing, but you find yourself wondering, "where do I begin?", this step-by-step guide is for you!

Step One:
It’s time to purge! Go through your closet and dresser item by item. Decide what you need, use and love out of your clothing. The items that you no longer want might be worn out, out of fashion, or the wrong size. Decide if you should throw them away (think stains and tears) or donate them (think new or gently used). Create a bag for each, and make a plan for getting the donations out of your home. Decide where to take the donations, when and at what time. Create an appointment on your calendar and stick to it!

Step Two:
As you purge, sort the items you’re keeping like-with-like. Create piles (for example, on your bed) for each type of clothing: pants, shorts, sleeveless tops, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, etc. This will give you an inventory of what you own, and you may get rid of more once you see just how many pairs of jeans you have.  
If you’re keeping clothing in sizes not currently being worn, sort those items together by size. Store these items in the closet on high shelves or in bins in storage. For children's clothing, mark a date on your calendar when to incorporate the next size up into the closet.

Step Three:
Now that you’ve sorted and purged the clothing, it’s time to organize it! You can decide at this point what makes sense to hang versus fold based on the space available and the size of the category. For each hanging category, you’ll want to organize it in rainbow order from left to right on matching hangers. We love the slim velvet or acrylic hangers. Long items like dresses should go in the long hanging space. For the clothing going in your dresser, for example graphic t-shirts, we like to file fold, which means placing them in the drawer the way that files go in a file drawer. This gives you the ability to see what you have from above. If you’re putting folded clothing on shelves in your closet, shelf dividers are handy, as well. If you haven’t already, it’s time to organize the clothing that you’re keeping that’s too small or too big by size, either high up in the closet or in your basement storage room in labeled bins. Be sure to mark your calendar when it’s time to get that clothing out.  

Staying on top of clothing organization will reduce stress when you’re getting ready, and keep you honest about what you already own so you can change your shopping habits. As a bonus, an organized closet truly does look beautiful. As always, if you’re feeling stumped still or are overwhelmed by the thought of doing this we’re just a phone call away to help.  

Happy organizing!

​Melissa Fortino