In the Home

How I cleaned out and organized my sewing studio.

February 13, 2026 by tidybrownwren 1 Comment

My sewing studio was a mess. I didn’t want to work in there, but I needed to start on my projects for the Spring Market in Smithfield. Let me show you how I did it. I started in one spot and continued around the room – one drawer, shelf, or area at a time.

Step 1: I prepped the area and myself.

I got myself set up with some hot tea and went to the bathroom before I started – no distractions. It was also important to bring up some bags for trash and donations. I decided to bring my labeler up to the studio in case I needed it – and I did.

Step 2: I picked one spot and started there.

The area I picked was the bulky ironing board and iron in front of the window. That one motion put me in a successful mindset, and it only took 2 minutes to put them away. Then I started on the desk drawers.

Step 3: I only work in one drawer/shelf/space at a time.

The reasons I like to do that is just in case I get interrupted in the middle of my project, and also because I can easily get distracted and overwhelmed by too many things piled up together. That’s why I needed to get this room back together before I lost my mind.

Each drawer has its own purpose. The top drawer holds general office supplies – paper cutter, stapler, tape, paper clips, rubber bands, and ruler. It also holds 3×5 cards and our family return address stamp and stamp pad for quick use.

The second drawer holds my business items – the divided folder I use to hold business receipts, business cards, notes from clients, post-it notes, and customer contacts.

The third drawer holds stationery – greeting cards, note pads, and stickers

The fourth drawer holds extra folders, label blanks, and Bible study research.

Everything is easy to grab. I use plastic gum cases for small items like paper clips, rubber bands, business cards, and tags. This kind here:

Step 4: I worked on clearing the countertop right above the drawers and only left out what I use daily. What works for me is to keep thin, 3-ring binders for each different category I refer to regularly – medical, Bible study, church ministry, and business. They are easy to grab and put back in place. When they are in view, I am reminded to use them – and they are portable.

I keep my most used t00ls and scissors available in milk glass containers on a tray for easy reach for me. My most used stamps are in an antique print job tray.

Step 5: I use bins (and boxes if necessary) for projects. I don’t need them in sight, but I do need all the items for those projects together in one place. I make a lot of upcycled items for my shop, and this plan works well for me. I also love this little rolling cart that holds small containers, multiple colors of cording, and odds and ends for embellishments.

Step 6: I continued in the same direction to the next area. In this case, it is the sewing machine. This is where most of the action takes place. This is my Gram’s 1972 Kenmore machine. I used 2 milk glass dishes to hold various sewing supplies. I also have my Grandma’s pin cushion. The flat basket behind the machine holds my mending pile.

Step 7: Moving in the same direction, I work on the shelf area, focusing on one shelf at a time.

This is one of two bookcases. This one holds sewing supplies. Zippers, vintage trims, and interfacing tape are kept in vintage file boxes. The old basket was my Grandma’s sewing box and contains vintage buttons. Below that is “quick to grab” white/cream fabrics, neutral rope and twine, and sewing accessories.

The third shelf holds my categorized collection of vintage and new buttons. The large container was Hub’s grandmother’s collection – already sorted. Imagine my surprise when I was gifted her divided box to add to my collection of vintage buttons – already sorted in my own divided box. The small Longaberger baskets hold lint brushes, extra thread, extra safety pins, and fabric pens. I kept the sewing machine oil in sight so I remember to take my machine apart and clean/oil it.

Step 8: I kept moving along, one area at a time, not getting distracted by fun things I found.

I worked on the second bookshelf. This shelf holds mostly craft supplies and a few bulky sewing items. The baskets hold various ribbons I’ve collected, adhesives, stamps and pads, wooden craft supplies, and card-making supplies. Notice the small trash can – I have a new, bigger one on my wish list because I have to empty that so often. This area wasn’t too messy, but I still went through every bin to make sure I was only storing things I wanted to keep. My interests change every few years, so I like to keep on top of the supplies. Gulp – I also throw away projects I’m not going to finish.

9. I didn’t skip the door because it needed attention too.

I needed to put the projects and ironing away before moving on. Then I continued to the small, narrow drawer unit.

It holds items that we use frequently for the home office and crafting.

Hub’s desk is in the former closet. We couldn’t believe how perfectly it fit in the small cubby/closet under the stairs. I’m not showing it on the blog because it’s his own space.

Envelopes, tags, and small Ziploc bags that Hubs and I both use.

Paints are stored upside down so I can see the colors easily.

We also have a drawer for glue/packing tape and a glue gun. A drawer for batteries and extension cords, and a drawer for extra paper and 3-ring binders keep everything handy for both of us.

Ahhh. . . this is much better. Because I go through this room once a year, it really didn’t take a long time to get it back in shape. I could have just put everything in its proper place, but this once-a-year clean-up helped me take inventory of everything I have and only store what is important to me. I worked on it a few hours a day for 4 days. I knew when I needed to take a break. Some areas were just 15 minutes, and others were 2-3 hours.

A project isn’t finished until the discard bags are, well, discarded. One pile for trash and one pile for donations. Trash goes in the trash can immediately, and donations go in my trunk to drop off at the donation center when I drive past it.

I plan to post a blog about the little details found in the sewing studio that make it very special to me. I’ll give you a little hint – almost everything was thrifted by me or handed down by family and friends.

How to start organizing the paperwork overflow surrounding you!

January 8, 2024 by tidybrownwren

Please see my disclosure policy here: https://tidybrownwren.com/disclosure-policy/

Are you overwhelmed by the piles of paperwork that surround you? Does it seem to be everywhere you look? Many of the clients I work with are embarrassed and frustrated by the amount of paperwork in their homes. It tends to pile up quickly and comes into your home almost daily, especially if you have children and even more so if you don’t have a system or routine for handling it. Want to know how to get out from under the piles?

Set up a system for incoming and outgoing mail and paperwork.

Tidy up your mail in 2024 tidybrownwren.com

Did I just overwhelm you with the word, “System”? Sorry about that. Let’s break it down into manageable bits now.

1. Look at your current routine.

You might not feel like you have a paper routine at the moment, but you do. Whatever you do routinely with incoming paper is your routine. It might be good or not so good. If you lose mail and paperwork, if you are late paying bills, or if your family misses out on opportunities because the paperwork wasn’t processed, then your routine is not so good. But there is always hope for tomorrow and you can set up a system rather easily and without spending much money (you might already have everything you need).

First, here’s what to look for in your routine. . .

a. Do all of your papers and mail gather in one place or do they end up everywhere?

b. Can this collection be handled in 5 minutes or is there a substantial amount that will take longer?

c. What is your routine once you have looked at each individual item? Do you have a place to put it until you can process it or do you put it somewhere so you don’t have to see it?

d. Does each family member know what to do with the papers they bring in the house or does everyone do their own thing?

e. For online bill paying, how do you keep track of what has been paid and what is pending?

Now that you have looked at what happens to the paperwork when it enters your home, it’s time to take care of it.

2. Clear off a big space to work

You can use the dining room table, a large island countertop, or even a cleared floor. Don’t pick a place you need to use in the next few hours because you’ll be setting up a potential disaster instead of a helpful system. If you tend to get sidetracked easily, I recommend that you phone a friend who can come over and help you stay on track.

3. Gather all of the paperwork you can find.

Look in everything (car, bags, backpacks, drawers, and baskets sitting around). Look on every horizontal surface (counters, tables, sofas, top of fridge, and coffee tables). Look under big items (sofas, piles of books, boxes, bags, and piles of clothing). Don’t pull paperwork out of file drawers or archived papers. You’ll do that another day.

Bring all of the paperwork you found to your big working space. Have a trashcan, a recycling bin, and a shredder (or box for future shredding) nearby. If you have a file box and file folders, bring them out. I prefer a standing file box and hanging folders but use whatever you have. I’ve even successfully used binders with pocket dividers.

Here’s what I recommend for a simple file box: https://amzn.to/3tHKzo9

Here’s what I recommend for simple hanging file folders: https://amzn.to/48FG0cA

3. Now, sort everything.

Go to your work surface and pick up each paper item only once. Open it up and decide immediately if it goes in the trash/recycling or if it is a keeper. If it is a keeper, put it in a labeled file with other items that are like it. Here are some folders you might need:

a. Bills to be paid

b. Take action (an invite to respond to, a gift certificate to use, a card to send)

c. School and/or medical file for each child or person in the home

d. Receipts or home paperwork to keep (like appliance warranty)

e. Keepsakes

f. Any other file you can think of that will make your life easier – but try not to micromanage files (eg: don’t do one for each class for your child)

Touch each paper only once and put it where it belongs. If you are unsure about something or have to get someone else’s input on an item, put it in a “check it out later” pile. Don’t reminisce about anything. If it is sentimental, put it in the keepsake file and you will look at it later. Today’s project is only about successfully handling the overwhelming of paperwork in your home so that you can begin to have a more successful and simplified 2024.

filing paperwork tidybrownwren.com

4. Maintain your system.

Now that every paper you found has a home (filed or trashed) then you can compliment yourself on a job well done in creating a system for incoming paper in your home. But this is only the start. Maintaining your simple system will help you to not be overwhelmed again by paperwork. Here are some things that will help.

a. Have a central spot for all incoming papers (mail, school work, medical forms, receipts). Train everyone in the home to empty their bags when they arrive home so nothing gets forgotten about. It will take a few weeks to train yourself and everyone else, but it will be worth it. Your paper file box should be in a convenient spot so that you can use it. If it is hidden away, you will forget about it.

b. Take care of processing paperwork regularly. It can be once a day (my preference), once a week, or whatever time you decide. The more often you tackle this simple task, the less time it takes and the better/faster you get at it.

Also, do yourself a favor and toss/recycle envelopes or inserts that are not needed. Envelopes take up a lot of filing space and often get in the way of the information you need. I personally open my mail as soon as it comes in the house, toss what isn’t needed, and set out anything Hubs needs to see at our spot in the kitchen that is for paperwork.

c. Check your “Action” file daily or at the very least, weekly so nothing gets forgotten or delayed. Prompt responses make your life so much easier!

d. Pick a date to handle the other files regularly. For instance, at the end of every semester, handle school papers and purge any that are no longer needed. Keepsake papers/photos can be moved to their appropriate locations to make space in the file. This mini file storage is only meant to handle temporary papers and give you a place to keep papers as you manage your day-to-day life.

e. If most of your bill paying is online, set up a chart, list, or calendar where you can see the actions for each bill. You will usually get an email about your bill, but on the rare occasion there is a glitch, it it good to have a checklist for your recurring bills. It can be any type of checklist that works for you. The simpler the better. We use a spreadsheet and it gives us peace of mind to be able to visually see what has been paid and what is pending.

One time years ago, before bills were paid online, we got a knock on our door from the city public utilities department. The nice gentleman was there to shut off our water. Having just gotten home with our newborn, I had a total meltdown. Thankfully, Hubs was there and grabbed our file of paid public utility bills. There wasn’t one for the past payment period accounted for. The service worker made a phone call and checked our billing address. Unbeknownst to us, our bill had been sent to someone in California. If we had been keeping track of our bills on a spreadsheet, we would have noticed that we hadn’t gotten a bill from them and could have inquired about it before the proposed shut-off. Thankfully, we were able to write a check immediately and keep our water on. Since that day, we have kept track of everything we pay regularly.

Let me know if you get stuck and need some advice, or maybe just some encouragement to get you going. I’m here for you! Kelly The Tidy Brown Wren at tidybrownwren.com

How to instantly brighten a book shelf

September 4, 2022 by tidybrownwren

As I was cleaning my foyer the other day, I took a good look at our little nature center which is just a simple desk/shelf unit that I bought 30 years ago. It works well in the foyer and we frequently refer to the nature books it holds.

Book shelf/tidybrownwren.com

You already know I am prone to pick up a paintbrush and change something in my house if I’m tired of it. But today, I thought I would do something else. I decided to instantly brighten a bookshelf with wallpaper.

Now, due to an unfortunate experience with wallpaper back in 2003, I promised myself I would never touch wallpaper again. But this was different. This was removable wallpaper! How hard could it be?

I found a grasscloth-ish (looks like grasscloth but is vinyl) removable wallpaper at Walmart in the hardware section. While shopping, I was really looking for contact paper to put in my bathroom cabinets and found this by accident. Contact paper, by the way, is in the kitchen section. You’re welcome.

How to lighten up a dark bookshelf/tidybrownwren.com

While working on one section at a time, I measured each section of the back and cut a piece for that section a little larger than I needed on all sides. I was careful to cut the pieces straight because the grasscloth pattern creates what looks like lines from a distance. I peeled off half of the top left section of the paper and lined it up with the top left section of the back of the bookshelf. Then I slowly peeled off the rest of the backing while smoothing the wallpaper down.

Once all of the backing was off, I smoothed out any bubbles and pressed the paper into the corners. I used an Exacto knife to carefully cut along the corners and remove all of the excess paper. I struggled with a few of the pieces but was able to remove and replace the same piece several times without losing any of the adhesive. I was happy with the results and it only took me about half an hour to do the whole thing.

See how the lighter background shows off our books and a few family treasures and I didn’t have to pull out a paintbrush.

You’ll notice that I also rearranged some of the books and items for a more pleasing and organized arrangement. We use these books a lot, so I like to have most of the similar topics together.

How to instantly brighten a bookshelf

How to add instant character by upcycling an old door for your pantry

July 31, 2021 by tidybrownwren

This is a project that has been 10 years in the making. For 10 years, I have been wanting to add some character to our kitchen by upcycling an old door to replace our hollow core door that leads into the pantry/laundry room. Here is a blog post from my old blog about the whole pantry remodel.

Remember what our kitchen looked like 8 years ago when it was being remodeled. The kitchen was taken down to the studs. The wiring, plumbing, floors, walls, lighting, and ceiling were all replaced. Here is a blog post from my old blog about the whole remodel.

See the little door to the right? Yup, that’s the door that is in the spotlight today.

The plan was to find and refinish an old door for our contractor to fit into the new space. He had to move the door framing over a little bit and put in some new trim, so replacing the door wouldn’t be a problem. . . Except that I couldn’t find a door the right size that I liked. I didn’t mean to be picky – but I had an idea in my mind and I couldn’t find a door that fit my criteria. So, we just told our contractor to put the old door in and Hubs would swap it out when I found the right one.

Finally, one day at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, I found her. Isn’t she a beaut?

I loved the big window, the two bottom panels, the mail slot, and the thickness of the wood. She was really well made and she was the right size. The above photo shows her best side. The next photo shows her bad side. It was covered in white paint which was already flaking off. I figured it wouldn’t take much to sand off the paint and finish her up. Well, I was very wrong.

The door had evidently been an exterior door and the white-painted side had been facing outside. The sun had baked the paint (as well as any old finish under it) into the wood. I used a sander. I used a stripper. I used a heat gun. I used another sander. I used another stripper. I was ready to throw her in the trash and search for another door. I stuck her in a back corner of the garage and got on with my life.

When Hubs retired in March, we walked around our house (inside and out) and made a huge list of projects we wanted to work on now that he had more time on his hands. When we got to the kitchen, we realized our kitchen was not officially “finished” until the pantry/utility room door was replaced. A decision needed to be made. Would I try one more time to refinish the door we had or would we try to find a new door? I’m kind of stubborn and decided no wooden door was going to get the best of me.

I marched out into the garage and asked Hubs to put this monster of a door onto the sawhorses. I refinished the “good side” right away, using furniture refinisher and Minwax Special Walnut stain/finish. After that dried, I flipped the door over and got to work on the “Bad side”.

First, I sanded with 60 grit sandpaper, using the sander on the flat sides and hand sanding in the grooves. I followed up with 120 grit sandpaper and cleaned off all of the mess. It still had white paint in the groves and in the decorative trim around the window and panels. That’s when I had to get creative. I pulled out a Sharpie marker and traced over the white paint. It looked better but still needed work. I stained the whole side with the same stain/finish I had used on the other side and let that dry.

Everything looked pretty good, but I could still see bits of white paint on the trim. I pulled out a small artist’s brush and acrylic black paint. I painted the entire trim around the window and the two lower panels. I also lightly filled in a little bit of the grooves where the door sides and bottom butted up against each other. I wouldn’t have given it so much attention, except this “bad side” was the side facing the kitchen.

After some creative woodworking on Hub’s part, the door was hung. We reused the old hinges from the original door. Now the next step was to find hardware that would function and look good with the door.

My first choice was antique hardware, but our humble home did not warrant hundreds of dollars in antique hardware. It was time to get creative. Altogether, we needed a handle, a backplate, and a door latch.

I had one “dummy” Schlag handle that I had purchased in a large bag of handles years ago from Habitat ReStore. A dummy handle is one that does not move. They are usually used on closet doors. This pantry/utility room was basically a walk-in closet that we had remodeled, so we figured a dummy handle would be good enough.

The handle was a perfect size but we needed a backplate to cover up the old hardware holes. None of the backplates I could find online were the right size so, we had to get creative again. Hubs ventured out to the craft store and found two pieces of balsa wood that were the perfect size. I painted them black and he screwed them onto the door. He screwed the handle onto the front side, making sure the screws went through the backplate and into the door. He covered the screws with upholstery tack heads (he clipped off the heads and glued them over the screw heads).

Finally, the only extra hardware needed was a latch to keep the door shut. We found a ball catch on Build.com for under $6.00 and it worked perfectly. Hubs had to patch some areas along the frame with small pieces of wood (he used some thin slices of wood from an old louvered door panel). I touched up the door frame by blending in some antiquing wax.

I wanted to obscure the view into the pantry/utility room but still allow light in. I chose a frosted vinyl window film to cover the backside of the window. It went on quickly. Note: If you try this, be assured the tiny air bubbles under the film will go away in a week or two – it made me freak out a little bit.

It still needed a little something more, so I created a vinyl sticker on my Cricut and placed it on the outside of the window. You should have seen Hubs and me (both firstborn, type-A, recovering perfectionist) getting the lettering perfectly straight.

Why I’m defending a junk drawer

January 30, 2021 by tidybrownwren

The junk drawer sometimes gets a bad rap but I’m coming to its defense today. The problem, in my opinion, is that we call a drawer a Junk Drawer and then we put junk in it. But what if we called it a Utility Drawer and stocked it with items that helped make our lives easier?

The photo below is my junk (utility) drawer. It’s not beautiful or Pinterest worthy, but it is the most used and useful drawer in my home.

You’ll notice I have several plastic inserts that corral all of my items. Boundaries are the key to keeping a utility drawer nice and tidy so you can always find what you want – when you want it. I’ve had these organizers for over 20 years and they are still doing their job.

(Funny note: you’ll notice in the space with coins, there is a small lid. The lid will have to remain there because it is a super-glue lid that accidentally got super-glued to that spot. And let me tell you – it’s never coming up – its there for good)

Here’s what I like to stock our drawer with: paper clips, thumb tacks, tape measures, chalk, several types of glue, labels for freezer containers, dice, stamps, return address stamp, rubber bands, stapler, extra staples, and a staple remover. Eyeglass cleaner and cloths, magnets, cable ties, brass fasteners, museum putty, Exacto blade, screwdriver, notepads, tape, mini-screwdriver set, gum, long handled lighters, purse tissues, and several kinds of flashlights. I also like to have one space for random coins.

Because we have a second drawer below the utility drawer, I use it for larger items we often use: large notepads, an address book, my garden journal, extra flashlights for the grandlittles, matches for the grill/bonfire, phone chargers, small tripod, and thank-you notes.

This drawer is also a spot for items we will be using soon but don’t want to keep on top of the counter. Right now I have my ph soil tester kit in a bag ready to use in a few weeks. It is close by but not in my way. We try not to keep anything in this drawer that is not used frequently or won’t be used shortly. Otherwise, it will become a junk drawer.

Do yourself a favor and rename your junk drawer. Be purposeful and declare it a Utility Drawer and stock it with things to make your life easier. . Your junk drawer thanks you.

Organizing under the kitchen sink

August 29, 2020 by tidybrownwren

The cabinet under the kitchen sink is a workhorse at our house, so organizing under the kitchen sink is something I take care of every few months.

E-zine articles and books about home organization might lead you to believe that a well-organized system should not have to be tweaked very often, but that is true only of areas that never change. The area under the kitchen sink (at least at our house) constantly has items coming in and going out. Sometimes it is seasonal (ant bait) and sometimes it is temporary (a replacement bottle of dish detergent) and sometimes it is a bad choice (extra rags because I’m too lazy to go out to the garage to put them away).

In this case, I was able to organize this kitchen sink cabinet re-using items I already had except for one item.

Here is what my kitchen sink cabinet can start to look like if I don’t tweak it regularly:

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy here.

Step One: Clear out

The best way to start organizing a space like this is just to take every item out of the cabinet and group like things together.

Step Two: Purge

Next, go through each grouping and get rid of items you don’t need or use. Sometimes you might need to condense bottles together (like 2 partial bottles of window cleaner condensed into one).

The first area I tackled this day was the before-mentioned abundance of rags. Too many is too many.

If you have a tendency to keep too many rags, think about what you use them for. I’ve foolishly kept some rags that weren’t even good rags. They didn’t wipe up liquid well or they left lint behind. It’s ok to trash rags that aren’t worth the space they are taking up.

Another tip for cleaning rags or supplies is to keep them in a container. It keeps them from sprawling around in your cabinet and it also works as a boundary line for how many items to keep. I pared down my rags to only “good” rags that would fit in my recycled container.

Step three: Corral small items

The next area I worked on was the small items that tend to get lost in a large cabinet. I corraled them all in a basket I had. Why, yes, I am using a Longaberger basket under my sink. It is sturdy, easy to clean, rectangular, and has a handle- making it the perfect container for under the sink.

I added some smaller containers inside the basket to separate types of items. One holds my metal cleaners and one holds my scrubbers. Extra sponges and brushes I use frequently, fill in around the sides.

Step four: Think vertical

My favorite holder under the sink is the only thing I spent money on. I bought a replacement tension curtain rod to hold my squirt bottles. Here is one like I bought. I’ve learned from experience to buy coated rods and ones that are not too thick (or your bottles won’t fit over them).

It took me a little while to play around with the height, making sure that it wasn’t too high to be inconvenient to replace the bottles, nor too low to interfere with supplies stored on the bottom of the cabinet.

Step five: Take it for a spin

The last area I tidied up was a lazy-susan I keep bottles on that won’t be stored on the curtain rod. These happen to be cleaning items I don’t really use as often as the spray bottles, but I want them close at hand. I filled a small jar with plant foot spikes to keep them together and to keep them from absorbing moisture from the humid air. If you purchase a lazy-susan, be sure to measure first so you know it will fit.

Step six: Remember the zones

Behind the lazy susan, I have a plastic-coated wire shelf that I consider my “C” zone.

This blog post about 5 rules for an organized home talks all about zones in your home. “A” zone is items you use every day and they should be in front or very easily accessible. “B” zone items are used less often and are stored slightly higher, lower, or behind “A” zone items. “C” zone items are used less often and should be on high shelves, in the very back of cabinets or drawers, or underneath items used more often.

Why use a shelf instead of just storing it on the cabinet floor? Well, I like to keep the items elevated so I can see them better and it makes them easier to grab. My “C” cleaning items are Old English products (which I use every once in a while, Quick Shine floor finish (which I use once a year), and granite polish (which I use 2-3 times a year).

Well, I just noticed my rag container wasn’t in the cabinet when I took these photos. I store the container under the “C” shelf. My Norwex cloths are mainly what I clean with, so I consider my other rags to be “C” items. Norwex cloths are anti-microbial, washable, and sturdy. I also bought their masks and I’m pretty happy with them because I can actually breathe through them.

FYI: I “hide” my Norwex cloths in another area because a man I love very much tends to grab things like Norwex rags, Pampered Chef brushes, and my favorite turkey baster for automotive purposes! Can I hear a witness?

6 Steps to clean and organize your spice cabinet quickly and completely

July 28, 2020 by tidybrownwren

I got a bee in my bonnet yesterday and decided to organize the spice cabinets in my kitchen while still wearing my jammies. Here are the steps I took to make it happen in just 15 minutes so I didn’t get too off track.

Here is the cabinet on the right side of my stove. I didn’t take any “before” photos because there wasn’t really much of a visual change in the set-up. This system has been working for me for 6 years. I mainly needed to wipe everything down and take an inventory of what I am going to need in the future for fall and winter baking.

This post contains affiliate links to products I like and use. If you purchase any of these, the blog will make a few pennies but it won’t cost you anything extra. Please see my disclosure statement here.

Here are the steps I followed to clean and organize my spice cabinets:

Step #1 Take everything off of a shelf – even the organizing products. I like to start on the top shelf and work my way down

Step #2 Wipe off the shelf

Step #3 Sort spices together, throwing away any that have expired or that you no longer use. You might come across some “mystery” spices – you know, those unlabeled containers with powdered substances that have no smell. Toss, please. If you find that you have two or more containers of the same spice and they are all “good” you can consolidate them or freeze the extras until you need them.

Step #4 Wipe down each container with a damp dishrag or a cleaning wipe. Dry it off if necessary.

Step #5 Clean the organizing products (lazy susans, risers, or bins) and place them back on the shelf.

Step #6 Place the spice containers back in the cabinet. I like to use my most-used spices on the bottom shelf, near the front (my “A” zone). Other spices not used as frequently go on the middle shelf, near the front (my “B” zone). The least frequently used and seasonal spices go behind my A and B zone spices (my “C” zone). See this post where I talk about how helpful zones are.

Bonus tip: Make a list of any spices or ingredients you are running low on so you won’t have any surprises later on!

I keep baking soda and baking powder in canning jars with plastic lids. I label the tops with what they are and also the expiration date. I just use a permanent marker and I can clean them off with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

This is the cabinet on the left side of my stove. I configured the shelves to accommodate taller bottles of vinegar, soy sauce, oils, and things like that. A lazy susan on the middle shelf corrals less used spices that are in larger containers (I have DIY BBQ rub and dried onion flakes in small jars).

A small basket on the top shelf holds food coloring and colored sprinkles for making Christmas cookies. I bought a bunch after Christmas last year so my basket is overflowing. No worries though, most of it will be used up at our annual Christmas cookie baking night with the grandlittles. Notice the abundant use of sprinkles on a few of last year’s goodies.

The top shelf of the cabinet on the right has my bottles of homemade vanilla extract that need to sit for several months before they are ready to use. I also keep extra spices up there and my extra vanilla beans.

Some notes about my spices. I like to store herbs as whole leaves or seeds and grind them up with my mortar and pestle. As empty-nesters, we just can’t use up ground spices before their quality fades. I grow a lot of our herbs (basil, oregano, chives, rosemary, thyme) and store the dried leaves in large canning jars in my pantry. When a spice jar runs low, I grab the larger jar and refill it.

The bottom shelf shows two shakers. The one on the left is pepper and the one on the right is garlic powder. I use those in most of our savory dishes so I put them in shakers without lids so I can just grab them and shake.

There is another shaker on the middle shelf that has cinnamon/sugar for Hub’s toast – he can’t live without it and we’ve had that shaker since we were first married (39 years).

You’re wondering where the salt is, right? Well, I keep it in a lidded dish with my oils, cloves of fresh garlic, knives, and my trusty mortar and pestle.

Porch chatter: Gardening, photo books, and delivery sign

July 5, 2020 by tidybrownwren

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy here.

Thanks for joining me on the porch today. It’s a hot one and we’re really going to need some iced cold tea and I’ll need to turn on the fan.

Since July means hot weather, that means our gardens are in full production. Some friends have asked what I’m using in my garden, so here are my basics.

For fertilizer, I use Epsoma products. It is really important for me to have organic products and I’ve been using Epsoma products for years. We also use our animal’s composted droppings as well as leaf mulch and grass cuttings. We just layer whatever ingredients we have and it seems to work well.

For deterring critters, we use three different things.

We built deer fencing around the entire perimeter of our veggie garden to keep out deer, gophers, and rabbits.
For about 8 years we have used these mole chasers which are battery operated. They make an annoying beep every so often that seems to chases moles and voles away. They also make solar-powered ones which I might get when ours bite the dust.
For bugs and slugs we use Diatomaceous Earth. We sprinkle it around the plants, being careful to not breathe it in. It must be food-grade DE and should be applied after rains or overhead watering which washes it away. It’s been very effective and I feel good not putting chemicals on our plants.

Photo Books:

When I’m not in the garden, I’m chilling in the house and working on our online photo albums this summer. I’ve been using Mixbooks and have been very happy with them. I’m doing one book for every year. If you are interested in trying them out, here’s a coupon for you.

The program is really easy to use – even for someone like me who is not very computer literate. I’ve been using the Modern White Year in Review template in a 8.5×11 size and it is perfect for a year’s worth of favorite photos and documenting our family.

While going through our photos, I have been weeding out duplicates, blurry photos, and excess ones. I’m choosing to keep only the best of the best. I have to admit I was a bit of a photo hoarder but I think I’ve recovered now.

Porch Sign:

I’ve had a problem with delivery drivers putting my packages everywhere but on my front porch. We have a screened front porch and I think they are afraid to open the screen door because they are afraid they are coming into my house. So, to solve the problem, I made a little sign on a piece of slate to hang on the screened door. I am still having some problems with a certain driver, but most have gotten the idea.

What are you working on? Anything fun? Tell us about it in the comment section!

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when clearing out clutter

June 28, 2020 by tidybrownwren

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy here.

It’s a common mistake many people make. After working with many clients for over 12 years, I’ve decided this is the biggest mistake you can make when clearing clutter out of your home.

“What is this big mistake?”, you ask.

The biggest mistake is assuming you know what you own. I can’t count the times I have worked with a client to declutter their home and they say “we don’t need to go through that box – I know what’s in it and it is fine”.

In my early years of helping clients, I would go along with it. But with experience, I came to the realization that they didn’t really know what was in that box. They only thought they knew what was in that box. Even that labeled box.

I would say about 90% of the time that box contained at least one item they had forgotten about. The box might have been labeled “sweaters” but sometimes it also contained (and I’m not making this up) money/gift cards, jewelry, trash, keys, important documents, bugs, food, water damage, or mildew. Sometimes the “sweater” box did not contain sweaters at all! And if it did, they were usually sweaters the homeowner did not want to keep anymore.

Sometimes it wasn’t what was in the box, it was what was behind the box on the shelf. It’s important to check everywhere or the job just isn’t complete.

So now, when I help someone purge and organize their home, I insist that we open every box, every container, every drawer, and every cabinet we encounter.

“Why should I care?”, you ask.

The reward for touching every single thing you own is that you now know what you have and where it is. Lost items and treasures will have been found. Unneeded items can be gotten rid of to make more space, bugs and water or mildew damage can be taken care of, and items can be stored where you can use them and find them. I feel it is also important to replace cardboard boxes with plastic bins. Cardboard attracts bugs and mildew – not good.

If you are buying new bins, be sure to buy ones that you can handle easily. It is best to buy several small/medium bins instead of larger ones because they can get pretty heavy when packed full. I only use oversized bins for lightweight items like pillows and comforters. The Rubbermaid 18 gallon size is perfect for storage in your garage, attic, or basement. For added organizing, purchase different colors for different types of storage. Ex: Red for Christmas decor, Green for Spring decor, White for linens. For closet shelves, I like these. Be sure to get bins with lids because dust collects in closets too. For under-the-bed-storage, I like these rolling bins.

Another thing to remember is to label every bin and it is good to label it on all four sides and also the top. You might think you will remember what is in each bin, but unless you have a bionic brain, you probably won’t. Here’s a label maker I love. You can also get creative with paper tags. I have even used luggage tags before when a client had a ton of extras. They are big and easy to read.

True story (or a confession):

When we moved into our house 14 years ago, I realized I was missing some dishes. I had unpacked all of the moving boxes and couldn’t find them anywhere. I figured they had somehow gotten lost during our crazy move (our house sold quickly and we had to move into a temporary apartment with most of our stuff in storage until we could find another house and move) and chalked it up to a loss.

Fast forward 2 years (2 years!!) and we were working on some storage solutions for our garage. We were installing shelving for my business supplies as a home stager as well as shelves for our seasonal decor. I came across a bin that was labeled “Spring decor” and opened it up. There were my long lost dishes. I’m not sure how it happened, but it did – to a Professional Organizer – me.

“Crazy talk!”, you say?

Ideally (and I know some people will think this is crazy talk), you should touch everything you own at least once a year. Yup, I said it. Once a year. Touching each and every belonging over the course of a year causes you to be aware of what you own.

“Impossible!”, you say?

Well, hear me out.

If you take one room/area of your home each month it is completely doable. Check out my post about 5 rules for an organized home for the schedule I use. You might not realize how tangled up you are with unneeded items you have stored around your home. Just be sure you open every box, cabinet, bag, and drawer. Every. Single. One.

Let me know what surprises you find in your containers. Any amazing finds? I can’t wait to hear about it!

How to redecorate easily for summer

June 16, 2020 by tidybrownwren

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you’ve been to my home before, you’ve probably noticed that I like to change things around. I can’t change my furniture around but I like to change my decor for the seasons. I like to redecorate but I don’t like to spend a lot of money or time doing it. I’ll show you my version of redecorating easily for summer.

Here’s what I started with this week. I have twill covers for our sofa and chair. I bought them when I ordered our furniture 8 years ago. I ordered everything from Great Bridge Furniture and I’m so glad I took David’s advice to order some summer covers to change out the look and feel.

The shelves were built by my very own Hubs with wood we found in our barn. The pillow covers are from different places. The green ones are from Pottery Barn but I found them at a thrift store. The floral ones were made from a curtain panel I found at a thrift store and made myself. The blue one on the chair is from Ikea.

In honor of summer, I decided to add some patriotic colors. I switched out the pillow covers for a red plaid and blue/white ticking. I made the pillow covers myself and they are an envelope type cover – no zippers. Here are some similar ones – Red and Blue. The floral pillow on the chair is from Pier 1 almost 10 years ago but this one is cute and would go with the colors. I like to use washable fabric so I can wash them regularly. Also, I use the red ones at Christmas and sometimes around Valentine’s day if I’m feeling festive.

I wasn’t thrilled with the pole lamp in the corner, so I swapped it out with a lamp from my guest room. It’s a little simpler and not so crowded looking. I kept the decorative items on the shelves the same. I swapped out a few things on the tables, but the basic composition remains the same.

I keep the same pillow inserts and just swap out the covers to save space and money. I like to use feather inserts because they are squishy but I also have a few polyester inserts for my smaller covers. When I’m finished using the pillow covers, I wash and dry them and store them all together in a linen drawer so I can grab them quickly.

What are you changing around in your home to bring in some of the summer decorating vibes? Share details!

In the Home

Set up a system for incoming and outgoing mail and paperwork.

1. Look at your current routine.

2. Clear off a big space to work

3. Gather all of the paperwork you can find.

3. Now, sort everything.

4. Maintain your system.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy here.

Step One: Clear out

Step Two: Purge

Step three: Corral small items

Step four: Think vertical

Step five: Take it for a spin

Step six: Remember the zones

This post contains affiliate links to products I like and use. If you purchase any of these, the blog will make a few pennies but it won’t cost you anything extra. Please see my disclosure statement here.

Photo Books:

Porch Sign:

“What is this big mistake?”, you ask.

“Why should I care?”, you ask.

True story (or a confession):

“Crazy talk!”, you say?

“Impossible!”, you say?

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)