Innovative Idea: Freeze Cookie Dough to Save Time Baking Later

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Innovative Idea, Kitchen, Time Management and Productivity / by Innovatively Organized

February 4, 2012

If you know you need to do baking later in the week or month, you can save time by preparing early. To make cookies in advance, prepare the cookie dough and roll them into balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet to freeze until firm. Once they are frozen, you can move the balls into a Ziploc bag or Tupperware, able to be stored safely for up to three months. When it’s time to bake those delicious cookies, you don’t even have to thaw them! Simply bake a few extra minutes than you normally would.

What are your thoughts? Have you ever tried freezing your cookie dough? Do you freeze any other baked goods or food to save time later?

Product Spotlight: Shopping Organizers to Keep Receipts Organized

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Files and Labels, Kitchen, Mail and Bills, Mobile and On-the-Go, Paper Management, Product Spotlight, Residential Organizing / by Innovatively Organized

January 14, 2012

Description:
Raise your hand if you think receipts are incredibly annoying? They’re essential, but they accumulate in the house too quickly and easily become clutter. Then there’s coupons- you spend time finding the perfect discount, but inevitably forget it in the wrong car or on the kitchen counter while you’re at the store. And don’t even get us started on gift cards! They either live in your wallet forever, or again, are never at the right place at the right time. This shopping organizer is the solution to all of these problems!

You’ll love it for:
• Gathering household receipts each month before bills
• Storing gift cards to be used
• Holding coupons you want to use
• Including notepads and pens

Cost: $17.99

Available at: our Amazon store

Product Spotlight: Wall Organizers to Sort Busy Families

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Families and Kids, General Organizing, Kitchen, Mail and Bills, Product Spotlight, Residential Organizing / by Innovatively Organized

January 4, 2012

Description:
Want to create a central location for all things family-related? One general space that everyone in the family can reference and add to is essential to an organized family. With so many events, soccer practices, and violin lessons, these wall organizers are great! They have multiple pockets for storing keys, sunglasses, note pads, spare keys or reusable grocery bags

You’ll love it for:
• Holding small items like pens and scissors
• Hanging resusable grocery bags
• Storing forms and paper the whole family needs access to

Cost:
Corky Wall Organizers in green or pink: $29.99
Wally Wall Organizers in pink or black: $39.99

Available at: our Amazon store

Before & After of the Week

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Before and After of the Week, General Organizing, Innovatively Organized, Kitchen / by Innovatively Organized

December 29, 2011

Service: Residential Organizing

Challenge:

This couple bought their home a few years ago with the builder shelves installed in the pantry. They have quite a large pantry, but the type of storage provided to them just was not quite enough to make efficient use of their space. They had cans stacked three or four deep which made it difficult to tell what they already had in the pantry. Also, there was no rhyme or reason as to why certain things were placed in a certain area.

Solution:

We sorted through all the food and small appliances/serving dishes in the pantry, purged what was old, expired, or never used, and discussed what food items they use the most frequently. We then took detailed measurements, took inventory of all the food that is typically in the pantry, and created a space plan to maximize the storage in their pantry. Also, we provided the clients with product suggestions for food storage.

Result:

The pantry is now a space that they are excited to use. Having a space that allows them to know exactly what they have and thus what they need to buy provides them a sense of peace. Both of our clients can now find exactly what they need, when they need it!

View more Before and After photos on our Facebook Fan Page!

Thought: Declutter Kitchen Counters

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Kitchen, Residential Organizing / by Innovatively Organized

November 24, 2011

We know you’ve been busy in the kitchen this week, following recipes and preparing dishes for Thanksgiving. If your neck is sore from bending over to read your cookbook, try a retractable book stand. You can install one under your cabinets so your recipes will be closer to eye level and out of the way on the counters.

Checklist: Thanksgiving Checklist

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Checklist, Gifts and Holidays, Kitchen / by Innovatively Organized

November 2, 2011

Happy November! You know what that means- swap your ghosts and goblins for cornucopias and pumpkin pie! If you’re hosting the Thanksgiving meal for your family, extended family, or friends, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed. Regardless of whether it’s your first time making the turkey or your 30th time, the planning leading up to this delicious meal is chaotic. To help you out, we’ve created a Thanksgiving Checklist, complete with a space for your shopping list! You won’t forget the cranberry sauce, run out of time to iron your table cloth, or realize you don’t have enough Tupperware for left overs.

Get organized now with our Thanksgiving Checklist!

Article: How to Organize Your Pantry

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October 29, 2011

Here’s a great article on how to organize your pantry (you know, that place where extra food is stored and never comes out). The article begins by explaining reasons for cleaning out your pantry:
1. Save money (taking inventory of what you already have and what you never use saves your from buying duplicates or unnecessary products)
2. Realize what type of food you actually use/eat
3. Understand what should be bought in bulk (if you’ve got a bunch sitting around, you probably aren’t consuming it frequently enough to justify buying in bulk)

The article then dives into how to tackle that pantry. It suggests taking everything out of your pantry (everything), then cleaning the actual space. Then go through all of the food and products that you removed so you can assess whether it goes back in. If the food has expired, toss it. If it’s still good but something you never use or no longer like, toss it (metaphorically, of course- you could donate it to a local food bank).

The next step is to group like items (i.e. canned goods, snack food, bottles, spices, boxes). Once you can see how much of each type of product you own, you can think about storage solutions. Remember to measure your space before purchasing bins, shelves, and storage units.

Once everything is back in your pantry, the last component is maintenance. Find a schedule that works for you- maybe weekly or monthly- to go through, tidy, and de-clutter. By maintaining an organizing pantry, you will save money, time, and energy in the long-run.

Innovative Idea: Freezer Labels

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Innovative Idea, Kitchen, Tools and Apps / by Innovatively Organized

October 28, 2011

This idea will improve your kitchen organizing ten-fold! When things go into your freezer, do they tend to stay there and slowly get pushed to the back? Unless it’s ice cream, most things that go into the freezer stay there until you choose to clean your fridge. By the time you find the food again, you can’t remember the last time you made that mysterious spaghetti sauce! Martha Stewart created awesome freezer labels which you can print on adhesive paper. Next time you throw something into the freezer, just mark and label it. You can also use them for left-overs in the fridge; simply slap one on your Tupperware.

What are your thoughts?

Checklist: Kitchen Cleaning

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Checklist, Kitchen / by Innovatively Organized

October 26, 2011

After cooking meals, dishes pile up and grease begins to build on surfaces. If you’ve had a long day at work, it’s tempting to just put off the cleaning for another day. But suddenly, a week has gone by and your kitchen is a huge mess! We know this story, we’ve all been there. To help you maintain your clean kitchen space, we’ve put together a checklist of supplies and tasks necessary for cleaning the hub of your home. If you make cleaning your kitchen a priority, it will remain manageable and orderly.

Get organized now with our Kitchen Cleaning Checklist!

Thought: Think Outside the Pot

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Kitchen, Residential Organizing / by Innovatively Organized

October 20, 2011

When you think about storing pots, you probably picture stacking pots inside each other, right? Most people take this classic approach to pot storage, but why not think outside the pot, if you will? We can all agree that lids of varying sizes are difficult to store and organize, so why not try hanging them? You can install a metal towel bar to the inside or a cabinet or pantry door, allowing you to rest your pot lids inside. This frees up a lot of space and makes storage much more convenient!

What do you think? Would you consider installing these bars to organize your pots better?

Archive for category: Kitchen

Innovative Idea: Freeze Cookie Dough to Save Time Baking Later

Product Spotlight: Shopping Organizers to Keep Receipts Organized

Product Spotlight: Wall Organizers to Sort Busy Families

Before & After of the Week

Thought: Declutter Kitchen Counters

Checklist: Thanksgiving Checklist

Article: How to Organize Your Pantry

Innovative Idea: Freezer Labels

Checklist: Kitchen Cleaning

Thought: Think Outside the Pot

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