15 min. to Holiday Bliss!

Hey! We've been doing 15 minutes a night this week to get ready for the holidays!!! Let's catch you up and let us know how it's going....

Get rid of anything in the fridge that is expired, went bad or simply stuff nobody likes.

‎15 minutes tonight: a quick and dirty. You've decided what you're keeping in the fridge. Take everything out onto the counter keeping like with like. Do a quick wipe down of the shelves and drawers. Return everything to the fridge- again- keep like with like. Most importantly, make sure you can SEE everything you have. If you can't see it, you won't use it! If there's time, do a quick wipe down on the outside, too.

Tonight's 15 minutes: You'll need certain food items for the holidays and they'll be going on sale soon so let's get to the pantry. Decide what portion you will want to work on tonight, whether it's a shelf or a whole cabinet. Same as the fridge, empty items keeping like with like. Check all expiration dates. REMINDER: If it's something nobody likes or you can't imagine when you'll use it - this is a great time of year to donate those items! Do a quick wipe down. Put items back - like with like - and establish the one in, one out rule. (You have to use something before buying another.) Let the kids help!!

Tonight's 15 minutes: If you have a large pantry, keeping working on that tonight. You want to complete a task rather than skipping around. Plus, we want to make sure your pantry is in tip-top shape! If you completed your pantry last night, let's make a shopping list for the holiday. REMINDER: Shop at home first. Can you tweak a recipe and use what you have? Can you make cherry pie instead of blueberry? You get the idea... Once you're done- pop the list in your wallet so it's accessible in the store. When an item goes on sale, scoop it up! If it's not on your list, ask yourself do you really need it??

Okay...you're all caught up!! See you tomorrow!

Let's Talk Trash!

Ok, so it's garbage night and you finally get someone to empty the trash can...but have all the wastebaskets been emptied? Let's make garbage night a chore for everyone...not just mom. Everyone empties their wastebasket and recyclables from their room, bathroom, office, whatever. Don't forget the laundry room! While we're at it, let's get rid of everything! Take this time to empty the fridge of all expired foods, unused leftovers and those things that have gone bad. One simple guideline my mom always said "When in doubt, throw it out!" While we're at it, let's give the freezer a once over- really quickly. Now, all the garbage is out of the house, the garbage trucks will whisk it away tomorrow and you have a clean slate! How lovely! : D

Time for the Pantry!!

Time for the pantry!! Empty the cabinets- Keep like with like, baking supplies, soups, condiments so it's easy to find. Get rid of expired items, or open items you are no longer using.  Donate what you and your family won't use, be honest - if nobody likes sardines..why do you have three cans?? Right? Take the time now to wipe it clean. You want to be able to see and find everything that you have. Keep snacks down low and easily accessible so you know who isn't tearing through the pantry! And stick to the one in, one out rule!  Establish limits for how much your pantry can hold. Once you do this, you must use something before you can buy another. If you go shopping once a week- you really only need a weeks worth of an item. No cramming items in- remember- you want to see what you have! You'll save time and money at the market when you are only buying what you need- no roaming the aisles and no duplicates!

Tupperware

Tupperware and  plastic containers are the most difficult items to keep organized.  Be brutal when deciding what to keep and what to let go.  Do you really need all of those containers?  Are they useful to you if they don't have tops?  I love this plate holder to keep the tops organized.  It holds them vertically for easy finding and easy grabbing.  They also have these racks specifically for lids but my client already had this and it works just as well! Again, super important that you can see everything you have!