February 2012
1 post
8 tags
Kitchen Organizing Inspiration from an Unlikely...
Did anyone catch last week’s episode of Modern Family? I’m a big fan of the show and never miss an episode. It’s a great mix of clever, laugh-out-loud humor, lovable characters and touching family moments. (Seriously, I think Jay melts my heart each & every episode.) But Cam won me over last week.
Without spoiling the episode for anyone who missed it, he reorganized...
January 2012
1 post
10 tags
Deep Cleaning the Kitchen - Cabinets, Counters &...
It’s time to (finally) finish up the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge.
Even though the cabinets, counter tops and floor weren’t visibly filthy soiled like some other areas of my kitchen (ahem), this was not a quick project.
KITCHEN BEFORE:
The counter top by the toaster: (which gets used daily)
Cleaning tools for the cabinets & counter tops:
How...
December 2011
5 posts
10 tags
Deep Cleaning the Kitchen - Oven Edition
Today we jump headfirst into my dirty oven. Sort of. While I was definitely all up in my oven, it was only temporary and strictly for the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge.
Fortunately, I knew this challenge was coming and I didn’t want you, dear reader, to be disappointed, so I made an especially large mess of the appliance. (Only part of that extra long sentence is...
10 tags
Deep Cleaning the Kitchen - Dishwasher Edition
We’re really churning right along on the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge. It’s time for the dishwasher!
DISHWASHER BEFORE:
Cleaning tools:
How to Clean your Dishwasher with Lemon & Baking Soda:
1. Check the drain in the floor of the dishwasher. Remove any food or other debris there. (Gloves or alternative ways to protect your fingers from the slimey...
8 tags
Deep Cleaning the Kitchen - Kitchen Sink Edition
Up next the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge was the kitchen sink. Mine happens to be stainless steel and in its before state was not-so-shiny.
STAINLESS STEEL KITCHEN SINK BEFORE:
Cleaning tools:
How to Clean your Stainless Steel Sink with Dish Soap, Lemon & Baking Soda:
1. Using dish soap, fill each basin with warm soapy water.
2. Let the water soak for a...
11 tags
Deep Cleaning the Kitchen - Stove Top Edition
For the next project in the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge, it was time to take on the burnt on mess on my glass stove top. (It’s worth noting that a glass top electric range would not be my first choice, but it works well for my needs (& budget) right now.)
If you have a glass-top range, you may be familiar with the cleaners/polishers/scrapers that are available...
11 tags
Deep Cleaning the Kitchen - Refrigerator & Freezer...
For the second project in the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge, I took on the fridge and freezer.
It turned out to be the perfect time to deep clean since they were both pretty bare because:
I had just returned from the Thanksgiving trip and had used or tossed anything perishable before I left.
They’re rarely packed anyway thanks to weekly meal planning and dinnertime...
November 2011
2 posts
11 tags
Deep Cleaning the Kitchen - Microwave Edition
For the first project in the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge, I tackled the microwave. It seems as though the owner of this particular appliance either has not used it in a long while or has chosen to overlook the gunk inside as she uses it to heat her cup of tea every morning.
ahem.
MICROWAVE BEFORE: (The identity of the appliance in question has been hidden to protect...
6 tags
Kitchen Cleaning Challenge-Ordered Up
I have a confession. And it may come as surprise to you. I do not like to deep clean. In fact, I avoid it as much and for as long as I can.
Whew. It feels good to get that out there.
As I’m sure you’ve figured out (you’re smart), I like to organize: to sort like with like, purge clutter and create efficient systems—those fun projects that end up making life easier. ...
October 2011
4 posts
12 tags
Meal Planning Workbook Giveaway
I’m excited to announce that we are participating in Love It? Promote It! Raleigh’s 30 Days of Free Giveaways!
The prize tomorrow (Thursday Oct 12) is a copy of Jumpstart your Family’s Meal Plan with a bonus phone consultation to help create a system to meet your family’s needs.
Enter to win by liking LIPI Raleigh’s Facebook page. Once you’ve initially...
9 tags
Dishwasher Efficiency - Water Temperature Edition
My sister recently bought a brand new (gorgeous) house. With the brand new house came brand new (shiny) appliances. The dishwasher installer told her that she should run the tap water in the sink until it’s hot before starting the dishwasher. Huh?!?! We’d never heard that before and it was news to everyone I’ve asked about it since. To me, it seems a bit wasteful and...
12 tags
Tackle Dreaded Kitchen Tasks with a Timer
Do you have a particular kitchen task that you put off doing because it seems daunting or just unfun? (Made up words are welcome here.) Maybe it’s cleaning out the fridge or scrubbing the casserole dish or (gasp!) meal planning. Whatever it is, I’m willing to bet that once you finally break down and do it, you think “well, that wasn’t so bad.”
Today let’s...
13 tags
Share the Fruits & Veggies Love and Win Some Cash!
As a dietitian, when I’m asked for tips for eating healthier, I always respond in one way: eat more fruits and vegetables. They’re naturally low in calories & fat and they’re packed with nutrients. Plus, the variety of colors makes your meal look so much more appealing!
The unfortunate reality is that most of us are not eating enough produce and as a result we’re failing to consume enough...
September 2011
7 posts
12 tags
Jumping Back into Planning Meals
The fun of a cross-country road trip is the opportunity to take in the sites, smells & textures of places you’ve never been. Yes, we absolutely did quite a bit of research (options for parks, roadside attractions & other detours) and some planning (basic routes/destinations/campsite & hotel reservations) ahead of time, but most of our time was left unscheduled. This allowed...
11 tags
Planning: Today and Tomorrow - Guest Post
Elisabeth of Turn Leaf Organizing tackles planning - a topic that you all know is near & dear to my heart. Could these tips help you have a calmer tomorrow? {Jill Marie}
~~~~~~~
“Do not finish TODAY until you have planned for TOMORROW.”
I came across this fantastic quote this week (thank you Doug Stevenson), as I was preparing for a presentation for women entrepreneurs in the...
9 tags
Spice Up your Life! - Guest Post
Oh, do I have a treat for you today! Karla Walsh from Healthful Bites is stopping by. Karla is hands-down my favorite Twitter friend. We first bonded over our love for all things Bob Harper and our shared commitment to VCRs in a post-DVR world. On paper, it may seem like I wouldn’t have much in common with this cool city girl with a cool city journalist job in the coolest city ever...
6 tags
The Most Important Aspect of Organizing - Guest...
Autumn from Space for Living and I connected online several months ago and I’ve been loving her posts ever since. She has great examples of organizing projects she’s worked on and regularly posts 10 Minute Tuesday challenges. We share a common outlook on organized living, and I think she’s done a fantastic job of summarizing it in her own words:
“I am Autumn from...
8 tags
Green Kitchen Tips - Guest Post
Today’s post comes from Julie Seibert of Healing through Organization. Julie and I became fast friends because not only do we share a passion for organizing, but we are both proud West Virginia natives. Julie’s business is unique in that she focuses on green organizing—the first to do so in North Carolina. She’s so good at what she does that she won NAPO LA’s 2011...
8 tags
Control the Paper Clutter - Guest Post
I’m pleased to welcome Theresa Finnigin from Ready Aim Organize in San Diego. Through the wonder that is social media, I’ve been following Theresa’s posts for a while now. She has great tips and offers fun giveaways. I’m excited for her latest announcement: her 2012 Organize your Life Daily Desktop Calendar is available for purchase.
Theresa has some expert advice on...
9 tags
Recipe: NC Fish Tacos with Pickled Red Onion -...
I’m excited to introduce you to Adrienne’s blog AdriennEats. Not only does she share fantastic (mostly vegetarian) recipes and insightful nutrition tips, but the photographs of the foods are amazing! (And part of the reason why I rarely post photos of food. I just can’t do it justice.)
Adrienne is a graphic designer and a certified holistic wellness coach and I would love...
August 2011
9 posts
8 tags
Traveling in Style - Guest Post
I’m excited to introduce you to Elisabeth Galperin of Turn Leaf Organizing. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Elisabeth on the Board of Directors of NAPO-NC. Not only does she really know her stuff, but she’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. As part of her services, Elisabeth offers a “G.O. Student” after-school program for middle and high...
5 tags
Vacation Time - Ordered Up
After months of planning and many random squeals of joy, Jim and I leaving on a cross-country road trip later this week. I am ridiculously excited and intend to spend the time being present on the trip and enjoying what the good ol’ US of A has to offer.
But things won’t slow down here just because we’re out on the open road. I have some fabulous blogging friends who have...
5 tags
Food Safety at Home: for those underwhelmed by the...
It’s no secret that I am obsessive passionate about food safety. It’s an awareness that I am unable to turn off—a fact to which I’m certain my dining partners can attest. There was no denying this when, unsolicited, one of my close friends identified a chipped plate at a restaurant as “a breeding ground for bacteria.” His wide smile made him appear just as...
10 tags
How Much is Convenience in the Kitchen Worth to...
The other day an organizer friend and I had an interesting conversation on Twitter. (Side note: have I mentioned how much I enjoy Twitter? Let’s connect: @orderuporg) Autumn mentioned being grossed out by the process of cutting up a whole chicken and stopped just shy of questioning her carnivore status. I replied by admitting:
Here’s the thing: I recognize that purchasing a...
13 tags
Organize your Kitchen for Easy Meal Planning -...
Does this sound familiar? You decide you’re going to make spaghetti for dinner, so you head to the store to pick up spaghetti sauce. When you go to the pantry for the pasta, you find an unopened jar of the same sauce hidden behind a box of cereal. Turns out you could have saved a trip to the grocery store after all.
Duplicate purchases, forgotten-turned-rotten foods and unnecessary...
12 tags
Organize your Kitchen for Easy Meal Planning -...
If your goal is to make efficient use of your time, money and groceries, planning your meals is a giant step in the right direction. Having a plan for what you and your family will eat most evenings takes the guesswork out of dinnertime and frees your mind to focus on other things, like getting your kids to do their homework before bedtime.
But even the most efficient, nutritious meal plan can...
13 tags
Organize your Kitchen for Easy Meal Planning -...
One of the perks of having an organized meal planning system is that you always have the ingredients for the planned recipes when you need them. Unless you have a supermarket fairy who stocks your shelves while you’re sleeping, you’re going to need a system for keeping up with your grocery list.
Grocery lists come in all shapes & sizes from complex ones sorted by the layout of...
11 tags
Extending your Food Budget - Random Ingredient...
Has this ever happened to you? You find a new recipe that you’re dying to try and it calls for one random ingredient that you wouldn’t normally have on hand or purchase? And of course the recipe only calls for a portion of the purchase unit? (One-half cup of buttermilk? Seriously?!) Or, in an effort to make more efficient use of your grocery budget, you decide to adjust 4-serving...
11 tags
Extending your Food Budget - Chicken Edition
The first few weeks of July were filled with plenty of fun: birthday celebrations (have I mentioned I love July 8th?), family visits, beach trips, concerts, ballgames, and as a result: lots of meals out. We absolutely had a blast and created lasting memories, but it was time to get back on the dining-at-home track and get some control of our food budget again.
Luckily for us, our grocery store...
July 2011
6 posts
9 tags
Kitchen Corner Drawers: My Latest Obsession
Organizing the shelves in those corner lazy susans can be a challenge. More often than not, there is wasted vertical space and if you spin that thing too quickly, items tumble.
That’s why I am in love with (the pictures of) these corner drawers. I’ve yet to see these contraptions in person, but it will happen soon. Oh yes. It will happen.
In the meantime, I’ll just...
Survey Help Please
Hi all!
I’m taking a break in the semi-regular programming today to ask you for a favor. Could you please take two minutes to fill out this two question (multiple choice) survey? Your responses will help me plan for upcoming posts and content. I want to hear what you’d like to see/read/learn/watch/hear/experience/eat/drink/sing/build/grow*.
Thanks for the feedback! It’s...
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Is it safe to eat? Leftover Basics
We can’t talk about making efficient use of our food budget without talking about leftovers. And I can’t talk about leftovers (or food, in general) without talking about food safety.
Whether you’re bringing home extras from a restaurant or planning to have tonight’s home-cooked casserole for lunch tomorrow, remember the basics:
Get the food out of the Temperature...
14 tags
Inexpensive Tools to Organize Food Storage
Knowing what you have on hand is an important step for creating a successful meal planning system for your family. When your fridge, freezer and pantry are packed to the gills with food, boxes and ingredients, your grocery dollars can go to waste: either through hidden food spoiling before it’s used or by buying duplicate items because you didn’t know you already had a supply at...
10 tags
Calories & Nutrients & Dessert. Oh My.
As I’ve mentioned, the subject of my career can make for some interesting mealtime conversations At a recent workshop, a participant reported the secret (as she saw it) to losing weight. I’m paraphrasing here:
No one will ever stop eating their dessert because they are too full. They’ll always eat it till it’s gone. So, it would make much more sense to order...
June 2011
9 posts
14 tags
Simple No-Cook Summer Side Dish
One of the things I appreciate most about meal planning is that everyone’s system is different. Some families find success in planning every meal each day down to the tiniest detail, like which condiments will be served. Another family’s meal planner might shudder at the thought of such a strict regimen and instead simply list five to seven main dishes that will be served at some...
9 tags
Jumpstart your Family's Meal Plan Workbook
Have you ever tried one of those one-size-fits-all menu plans? You know the ones that “take all of the guesswork out of dinnertime” by providing you a week’s worth of meals and the grocery list to go with them? Odds are when you printed out the grocery list, you found yourself guessing about a few things, after all. For instance:
Where in the world do I purchase these ingredients I’ve...
13 tags
Do Restaurants Fit in your Meal Plan?
One of the benefits of having a plan for what you’re eating and spending on food is understanding how dining out fits into your family’s meal plan. Dining out can be a great treat and there are some fabulous restaurants (Daniel’s anyone?) out there with some really tasty food. And let’s be honest, there’s also the added bonus of not having to clean up after the meal. But is it worth it?
Only...
Celebrating my Home State with Food
Celebrations are a good excuse to work your favorite foods into your meal plan. Like a favorite song, food can serve as a connection to someone, something, or somewhere in the past. Today is West Virginia Day. On this day in 1863, West Virginia seceded from Virginia. The truth is, I could turn any day into WV Day by sharing random information and trivia about my home state (did you know that...
10 tags
Food Service at Monticello
As I mentioned, I paid close attention to the features at Monticello that revolved around food. So it should come as no surprise that my favorite part of Thomas Jefferson’s home was located by the dining room.
Because Jefferson (TJ or Teej, as we began to call him the more comfortable we became on his grounds) did not want noises from food service to interrupt the conversations with his...
12 tags
An Unplanned Tour of a Founding Father's Kitchen
Last week Jim and I went to Charlottesville, VA for an Arcade Fire concert. (A fantastic show, by the way.) After realizing how close we were to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s estate, we decided to make an unplanned visit.
Wow. What a treat. Despite the 100°+ heat index, we strolled by the gardens,
toured the house, (taking photos inside is prohibited)
and wandered among the...
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MyThoughts on MyPlate
You’ve probably heard (though you may not have been sitting anxiously at your desk ready to watch the live coverage online - ahem) that the USDA released the new food guidance icon last Thursday. The MyPlate replaces the MyPyramid icon (which replaced the Food Guide Pyramid in 2005).
As a dietitian and proud student of the original Food Guide Pyramid, {side note: one of my favorite...
13 tags
Food Safety Awareness - Supermarket Edition
The importance of safe food handling practices starts long before the food is brought into your home. Because you have little control over how the items are handled before they end up in your grocery buggy, it is especially important to be mindful of food safety as you’re planning your grocery store visit. A few things to consider:
Inspect packaging carefully. If it is damaged, torn or...
May 2011
5 posts
9 tags
Organizing Tips eBook by Professional Organizers
Several months ago, I was invited to contribute to an organizing tip book by professional organizers Judith Kolberg & Allison Carter. I’m excited to let you know about the finished product.
Sync or Swim: 201 Organizing Tips You Need to Survive the Currents of Change are the next-generation organizing tips for getting things done and controlling clutter without falling into a sea of...
11 tags
First Impressions
“So, what do you do?”
It’s an innocent enough question and one for which most of us probably have a standard response. I say “I’m a dietitian and kitchen organizer.” Harmless enough, right? Yep.
Unless there is food around.
Then one of two things happen:
My new acquaintance covers his or her plate and says, “Don’t look at what I’m...
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FDA Menu Label Proposals
When your family’s meal plan calls for a night out at a restaurant or your afternoon slump at the office requires you to hit the vending machine, do you consider the nutritional content of your choices?
Last month, the FDA released two proposals for nutrition labeling regulations that will preempt current state and local laws. You can read the entire proposals for both the menu &...
13 tags
A Berry Tasty Mistake*
As I’ve mentioned before, we are members of The Produce Box. Fresh, local produce delivered weekly to our front door? Yes, please! I like trying out new veggies and incorporating old standbys into our meals, but I was especially excited about the recent opportunity to order a “stock-up” box of strawberries. So excited, in fact, that I accidentally ordered TWO stock-up boxes....
April 2011
7 posts
9 tags
Good Advice
I’m just returning from a few (strategically planned) out-of-state speaking engagements. Not only did I meet some very nice people and hear some other great presentations, but I also snuck in a few visits with close friends who live in the area.
I’m very pleased with how the seminars went and I think I owe at least part of the success to the great advice I received this morning...