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Organized Home Week 1 – The Refrigerator

January 9, 2015 · by Maria · 75 Comments

Our Home Organization challenge begins today, and we start with a refrigerator makeover and a giveaway! Double yay!

My refrigerator stays pretty organized during the year UNTIL the holidays. After all the re-arranging in order to fit the extra food that I make for our Christmas Morning Breakfast and holiday gatherings, the fridge is a mess. So I dedicate the following picture to those that wonder if my kitchen is always sparkling and my fridge is full of perfectly arranged bpa-free bottled waters that always face forward:

Here are the steps that I took to get my refrigerator in top shape:

1. Empty the refrigerator and throw away expired food.

I emptied it out the refrigerator which was a good opportunity to sort and group like items on the kitchen table.

2. Give the refrigerator a thorough cleaning.

I was so ready to get my fridge looking good again! At this point it needed more than just organizing, it needed a good thorough cleaning. I removed and washed all the shelves and drawers and also cleaned the refrigerator walls.

Hey there good looking!

3. Add coasters and/or fridge bins to the shelves.

Then I added a new pack of Fridge Coasters. I have shared with you in other posts how much I love them! They have different patterns and colors – this year I chose green. They will help to keep the refrigerator clean by soaking up any spills.

Love. Love. Love.

After adding the coasters, I added all the bins that I use to corral items. Some of my bins (like the one in the picture below) are simply OXO bins without a lid.

4. Place the food items back in the fridge.

The fun part, add the food and drinks back in the clean fridge!

No more expired salad dressings.

I may or may not have over done it purchasing butter for holiday baking.

I keep asparagus in a wide-mouth sturdy cup and I add a little water. It lasts way longer than if I kept it in the veggie bin.

It doesn’t matter where I keep the milk, it doesn’t last more than a few days around here.

I love to re-position the shelves to accommodate the groceries. This really narrow shelf is for yogurt. I don’t like to crowd the very top shelf of the fridge so that air can still circulate freely.

Although I love fridge bins and I am linking them HERE, I suggest that you only purchase bins for items that you always buy. If you never buy juice boxes or yogurts then you don’t need empty bins taking up space in your refrigerator. I also keep an open bin to place whatever I am defrosting for the following days dinner. This avoids spills and keeps the fridge clean.

Adding just one bin to this drawer keeps onion or garlic skins from taking over the bin and helps to keep veggies separate.

Let’s not forget the large sliding drawer. It is my favorite part of french top refrigerators (my least favorite part being the freezer section). This is where I place the treats for little ones since the height it perfect for self-serve.

I use this container for the eggs which comes with a lid but I rarely use the lid since we buy so many eggs. You can find a slightly larger one HERE.

So maybe for the next 19 seconds my fridge will be sparking and full of perfectly arranged bpa-free bottled waters that always face forward. Until the boys realize that I have replenished the fridge. At least I have the pictures to remember it by!

But really, aside from the direction that the bottles face 🙂 it is easy to maintain a refrigerator when everything has a designated spot.

If you like the fridge coasters, then don’t miss out on the giveaway below! Two Graceful Order readers will be given 2 sets of their choice..all courtesy of Fridge Coaster!

The giveaway will end at 12 a.m. January 16th. Good luck to all of you and Let’s Organize 2015!

Maria

~ Graceful Order’s disclaimers and giveaway regulations can be found “here”. This posts contains links, a few are affiliate links. As always, thank you for your support of Graceful Order!

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Let’s Organize 2015

January 5, 2015 · by Maria · 8 Comments

A new year! Whether you are one to write down resolutions in multiple lists, or just a short list behind your calendar, or even if you are re-using last years list since it’s still not checked off as done! Not that I would know a thing about unresolved resolutions…Ahem!

Even with a blog about organization, I need more organization! Sometimes blogging about organizing can be kinda messy. 🙂 I also have some fitness “goals” for myself this year that include new eating habits. I want to be at a weight that I feel comfortable at and over this past year I have put on some pounds that are literally weighing me down. Excess weight can be similar to clutter. I don’t have any unrealistic goals and I won’t to do some crazy diet. I just want to feel comfortable in my clothes and be intentional with my food choices. I already eat organic and natural food at home, but I need to be honest about the other stuff I am consuming when I go out. Fitness is a focal point for me in 2015.

This year I am less about “goals and resolutions” and more about good habits. Don’t get me wrong, goals are great but I am more in need of better habits and that will take time and commitment to create.

There are some good habits that I want to create for my home as well. I want to continue doing my morning home routine and my evening routine because they simplify my life. I also want to buy less items for the home this year, especially the impulse buys. I donate so many items that are barely used. How many black pants do I really need? How many throw pillows? How many trays? I always encourage you to purge items that you don’t need and I do the same in my home. But the fact is, I wouldn’t have so many items to purge if I made better purchasing decisions to begin with. I am also a sucker for clearance sales so I end up buying items that I don’t love just because they are on sale. That is something that I intend to change this year.

I would love for us to accomplish some weekly organizing tasks together that are manageable and 100% guilt-free (who needs more guilt?…not I). If you don’t get around to them in the timeframe given it’s ok, just catch up when you can. The goal is not to live in a perfect home that looks like it isn’t lived in. The goal is to create a space that shows pride and contentment in our surroundings. Not a place where you can’t put your feet up on a table, but a space that makes you want to put your feet up. Don’t worry, the tasks will be easy and manageable and you will customize them to your family’s needs and routines.

I hope that you are on board with the 2015 Home Organizing Challenge and that it brings more joy and peace into your life and home. We are starting this week so stay tuned!

Are ya with me?! What are your objectives this year?

xo,

Maria

2014 Year in Review

December 29, 2014 · by Maria · 23 Comments

So how much eggnog did you have this week? Be honest.

Well, I totally indulged and really enjoyed hanging out with family. I love the slower pace that follows Christmas. The kids are home from school and I don’t take them to any after school activities this week. It’s a week off from alarm clocks and schedules and we love it.

The year is quickly coming to a close and I wanted to reflect on some of the projects that have either been my favorites or the ones that you have liked most! Our Christmas Home Tour was definitely top of the list! I am thinking of doing a full home tour next year. What do you think? If you missed it, here is PART 1, PART 2 and PART 3.

One of my most popular posts and probably one of my favorites, is my “Transform your Closet” post. This is where I share all of my favorite tips for organizing the master closet.

Another favorite organizational project of mine is how to “Create a Smoothie Station”. This saves me so much time and I make smoothies more often if I can find my supplies.

And since we are already in the kitchen, I also shared how I “Organize Under the Kitchen Sink”.

And tips on how to “Organize a Deep Cabinet Pantry”.

We also did a little (a lot) of natural cleaning in 2014. The most popular cleaning post was “How to Clean Wooden Cutting Boards”.

Before and after the holidays is a good time to clean the oven, stove and microwave. Here I share “How to Clean a Microwave the Natural Way”.

I love to clean with lemons, and here I show you different ways that I “Clean using Lemons”.

One of the most popular cleaning posts was “Five Places we forget to Clean in the Bathroom” – especially for moms with boys, wonder why…

There were a few client projects, and at the top were an “Office Makeover”

and a “Laundry Room Makeover”.

I shared tips on “Creating a Master Bedroom Retreat”. I since added a large rug under the bed and I can’t wait to share those pictures with you!

Not surprisingly, since most of us seek order and peace in our homes, the most shared posts from Graceful Order this year were the Home Routines. Here is the ” Morning Housekeeping Routine”.

And the “Night Housekeeping Routine”.

Lastly, the winner of the most pinned image on Graceful Order for 2014, is part of the “Organizing Small Bathroom Sinks” post! This organizing solution not only looks nice, but it is so practical! It is one of my favorite projects in my home. Simple, easy and functional!

Most importantly, I want to thank YOU because I truly enjoy sharing all these ideas and I am so grateful for your feedback and encouragement throughout the year! You rock!

See you next year!

Christmas Home Tour Part 3

December 24, 2014 · by Maria · 2 Comments

Yikes, the Home Tour took 3 posts to complete! There’s a whole lotta Christmas glitter all over this house and I hope that you enjoyed PART 1 and PART 2 of my Christmas Home Tour.

Today, I want to share with you our family room, which is where we always place our Christmas Tree and spend most of our time together.

Although my living room is decorated in white, gold and green, I LOVE the vibrant pops of red in the family room! I can’t decide between the “white” and the “red” Christmas decor so I choose both!

By the way, this little kid was trying to get into every shot! Blogging with toddlers…not for the faint of heart!

I can’t keep my little one away from the tree!

These are some of my favorite ornaments.

I actually love them all!

Ok, enough of the tree!

My dad brought me these roses the other day (my dad rocks!) and they were perfect for the end table.

Love these bright colors!

I didn’t decorate my kitchen very much, but I did decorate our kitchen table and I added a wreath to the window.

I switched out the products in my sink area caddy for some pine scented cleaners.

I close with the outside of our home (I would’ve opened with it, except there were Thanksgiving pumpkins out there until a week ago – don’t tell).

Remember this pot from my post on Decorating for FALL? I just switched out the center plant, which I always leave in it’s original plastic pot from the store. It makes it easier and cleaner to switch out!

That is all! Have an amazing holiday everyone!

~ Maria

Christmas Home Tour Part 2

December 22, 2014 · by Maria · 7 Comments

It is Christmas this week! Ahhhh!! Yes, I am super excited! I want to enjoy every second and be present in every moment. Last week, I shared the first part of my Christmas Tour and you can check it out HERE if you missed it.

This year I added some white touches to my dark dining room furniture. Draping a throw and adding a pillow to an end chair makes such a difference in the overall feel of the room.

I stuck with gold and green in this room, just like our living room.

I love boxwood anything and I use these decorations throughout the year. I placed one of the trees on a gold pedestal and that elevated the look, literally.