Reading time: 2 – 3 minutes

You can recycle prescription and over-the-counter pills, tablets and capsules this Saturday, April 30, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at a site near you. Nationally, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is coordinating with state and local law enforcement agencies to remove potentially dangerous, controlled substances from our nation’s medicine cabinets. They call it the National Take-Back Initiative.

You can learn more about the Initiative and search the DEA’s database of collection locations here.  These are results for a for a 50-mile radius around my zip code, 31405.

• Southcoast Medical Group, 1326 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah, 31405
• Kroger (Berwick), 5720 Ogeechee Road, Savannah, 31405
• Wal-Mart (Pooler), 160 Pooler Parkway, Pooler, 31322
• Wal-Mart (Sandfly), 1955 East Montgomery Crossroads, Savannah, 31406
• Armstrong Atlantic State University Police HQ, 11935 Abercorn Street, Savannah, 31419
• Wal-Mart (Whitemarsh), 3725 East Highway 80, Savannah, 31410
• Rincon Police Department, 107 West 17th Street, Rincon, 31326

There were also results for Pembroke, Hinesville, Claxton, and Beaufort. Put in your zip code to find the location nearest you.

Remember, do not flush pills down toilets. It is harmful to your local environment, water supply, rivers and streams. Also, be careful how you dispose of your prescription labels (tear them off and shred them if you can), so you can avoid identity/medicine theft. The bottles themselves are recyclable in my area.

So, take a moment to zip through your medicine stash. Dump out the expired or unused pills into a container, and drop them off at one of these collection sites on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  You’ll be glad you did!

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Proverbs 22:3 (New International Version)

Recycle Unused Drugs This Saturday is a post from: Grow Your Organizing Skills

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

Join us for Earth Day Savannah 2011 on April 23 in Forsyth Park! The drive-through Recyclerama is 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. They’re accepting medicines, paint, tires, oil, batteries, light bulbs, printer cartridges, and phones. The Festival, with over 80 exhibitors, is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Schedule of Events
8 a.m. – 11 a.m. Recyclerama
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Forsyth Farmers Market
11 a.m. – 3 pm. Earth Day Festival
4 p.m. 4th Annual Savannah Wheelie Earth Day Bike Ride

The 2011 theme is “Conserve, Recycle, Grow” to emphazise the importance of creative reuse and environmental conservation. Afternoon workshops include keeping beehives, raising chickens in city limits, and urban gardening. For more information, visit www.earthdaysavannah.org.

The annual Earth Day Festival is a central part of the City of Savannah’s year-round environmental activities. It is the largest Earth Day environmental-education and outreach event in Georgia.

For more information about the creation of the earth:

Genesis 1

 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

 6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
    11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

 20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

 24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
    26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

 27 So God created mankind in his own image,
   in the image of God he created them;
   male and female he created them.

 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
    29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
    31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Genesis 2

 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

 4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens. 

There’s more. Feel free to keep reading. Click here.

Earth Day Savannah 2011 is a post from: Grow Your Organizing Skills

Reading time: 4 – 7 minutes

We’re on a Freedom Journey (Cookbooks and Recipes) that will declutter and organize your kitchen in 21 days, using about 10 minutes per day. Three weeks will come and go. If you are able to join us on this Freedom Journey, after 21 days, you will be celebrating in your newly organized kitchen. You can do this.

(If this is your Day #16 with us, you’ll notice a pattern. )

Remember, first we declutter. Then we organize.

Declutter

1. Gather cookbooks and recipes from all over your home.
2. Sort “like items with like items”. This is a little trickier than usual. There are tons of ways to handle this. First, you’ll want to keep in the kitchen only those cookbooks and recipes that you most frequently need. The others can be stored in a bookcase or on shelving in another part of the home. Second, some people sort by type of dish (casserole, vegetable, dessert, bread, side, etc.). Some people sort by meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, dessert, etc.). Third, some people have physical binders for recipes. Some use file folders. Some have computer programs and files. Take a good look at what you have, make a decision about how you want to sort, and then make your piles. There is no one right or wrong way to make them. And, you can always change it up later. Just go with your gut instincts.
3. Purge through your piles. You can mark the designated areas with post-it notes or a slip of paper with each title on it: Donate, Sell, Trash, Recycle. Scan the “like with like” piles. Remove anything you think is unusable, and place it in either the Trash or Recycle piles. Remove any items you no longer use, love or want, and place them in either the Donate or Sell piles. (When you decide whether to Donate or Sell an item, keep in mind the time, effort, and energy it will take to sell it (auction, garage sale, one-on-one, etc.). Make sure your return on investment is worth it. Consider unchaining yourself from that item by putting it straight into the Donate pile. Someone else really needs it.)
4. Make a Purge Storage Area. This could be individual paper bags, plastic bags (different than your regular trash bags), boxes, containers, or a section in your laundry room or garage. Label your containers to avoid confusion. Place your Donate, Sell, Trash and Recycle piles into the appropriate container. Place that container in its designated space until you get ready to dispose of these items.

Organize

1. Take a look at the remaining cookbooks and recipes.
2. Where do you want their home to be? On a shelf? In a bin in a lower cabinet? On the countertop? Will they fit in this area? If not, you may have to go back to the purging step.
3. Would you like to buy organizing products to divide/contain them? Bins? Baskets? Bookends? Plastic? Metal? Color? Style? Size? (Note: you may find it helpful to wait to purchase any organizing products until after you’ve completed decluttering and organizing. For now, just make notes about what you might like and the size it needs to be.)
4. Locate your selection in which to house them.
5. Place your items into your selection. Place the selection into its home.
6. Enjoy being able to find your cookbooks and recipes whenever you need it.
7. Remember to return your cookbooks and recipes here after each use.

Other web articles about  Cookbooks and Recipes:

1. How to Organize Recipes and Cookbooks
2. Cookbook and Recipe Software Review

Congratulations! You did it! We’ll continue your Freedom Journey tomorrow. There are only 5 days left to your newly organized kitchen.

“Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.” Proverbs 6:5 (New International Version)

Organize Your Kitchen #16 Cookbooks and Recipes is a post from: Grow Your Organizing Skills

Reading time: 4 – 7 minutes

Photo Credit xandert morguefile.com

We’re on a Freedom Journey (Freezer) that will declutter and organize your kitchen in 21 days, using about 10 minutes per day. Three weeks will come and go. If you are able to join us on this Freedom Journey, after 21 days, you will be celebrating in your newly organized kitchen. You can do this.

Today’s Freedom Journey may take more than 10 minutes. You can do 10 minutes a day until you are finished. You can do 10 minutes for each category of items. Or, you can set aside an hour to focus and finish in one day. You are free to choose what works best for you.

Remember, first we declutter. Then we organize.

Declutter

1. To preserve the quality of your food, gather from the freezer one category of items at a time. (See #2 below.)
2. To Sort “like items with like items,” pull out only one category of items at a time. First, follow the instructions in this declutter section. Second, put that category of items back into the freezer (don’t worry about placement yet – that’s organizing; don’t worry about cleaning the inside of the freezer yet – that’s cleaning). Third, begin again with the next category of items. Categories include leftovers, dairy, fruits, vegetables, meats, prepped meals, condiments, soups, nuts, other.
3. Purge through your piles. There will be only two (non-keep) piles today: Trash and Recycle. Place your Trash receptacle near you. The Recycle pile may actually be your sink, since after you empty the container into the trash, you will have to rinse it. (Plastic recycled items should have the little triangle with an appropriate number inside. Appropriate = your community recycling program accepts those numbers.) Trash/Recycle items accordingly. From now on, keep a permanent marker in the kitchen, so you can date items as you place them in the freezer. Check expiration dates. If there is no expiration date, OPEN IT, SMELL IT, FEEL IT, AND MAKE AN APPROPRIATE DECISION. Sorry to yell at you, but this is really important. If you are unwilling to do any of these four things, it is Trash. Remove any items you no longer use, love or want. (Tip: if you own a microwave, there is no need to let fresh meat deteriorate in the refrigerator. When you bring the meat home from the grocery store, place it immediately in the freezer. When you want to use it, you can thaw it immediately before cooking in the microwave. Or, the day before use, place it in the refrigerator to thaw. Note: thawing meat on a countertop is dangerous to your health.)
4. Make a Purge Storage Area. This could be individual paper bags, plastic bags (different than your regular trash bags), boxes, containers, or a section in your laundry room or garage. Label your containers to avoid confusion. Place your Trash, or (rinsed) Recycle piles into the appropriate container. Place that container in its designated space until you get ready to dispose of these items.

Organize

1. Take a look at the remaining freezer food.
2. Where do you want their home in your freezer to be? This will depend on the style of your freezer – traditional/older, upright, deep rectangle, etc. Do you wants the items stored on the Door? In a Bin/Crate? On a Shelf? Will they fit in this area? Your freezer items should have a specific home also. Then, everyone knows where to find the soup whenever they want some.
3. Would you like to buy organizing products to divide/contain them? Bins? Baskets? Crates? Plastic? Color? Style? Size? (Note: you may find it helpful to wait to purchase any organizing products until after you’ve completed decluttering and organizing. For now, just make notes about what you might like and the size it needs to be.)
4. Locate your selection in which to house them.
5. Place your items into your selection. Place the selection into its home.
6. Enjoy being able to find your freezer food whenever you need it.
7. Remember to return your freezer food to its specific home after each use.

Congratulations! You did it! We’ll continue your Freedom Journey tomorrow. There are only 6 days left to your newly organized kitchen.

“Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.” Psalm 142:7a (New International Version)

Organize Your Kitchen #15 Freezer is a post from: Grow Your Organizing Skills

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

Photo Credit click morguefile.com

We’re on a Freedom Journey (Refrigerator) that will declutter and organize your kitchen in 21 days, using about 10 minutes per day. Three weeks will come and go. If you are able to join us on this Freedom Journey, after 21 days, you will be celebrating in your newly organized kitchen. You can do this.

Today’s and tomorrow’s Freedom Journeys may take more than 10 minutes. You can do 10 minutes a day until you are finished. You can do 10 minutes for each category of items. Or, you can set aside an hour each of these two days to focus and finish each in one day. You are free to choose what works best for you.

Remember, first we declutter. Then we organize.

Declutter

1. To preserve the quality of your food, gather from the refrigerator one category of items at a time. (See #2 below.)
2. To Sort “like items with like items,” pull out only one category of items at a time. First, follow the instructions in this declutter section. Second, put that category of items back into the refrigerator (don’t worry about placement yet – that’s organizing; don’t worry about cleaning the inside of the refrigerator yet – that’s cleaning). Third, begin again with the next category of items. Categories include leftovers, dairy, fruits, vegetables, meats, condiments, drinks, other.
3. Purge through your piles. There will be only two (non-keep) piles today: Trash and Recycle. Place your Trash receptacle near you. The Recycle pile may actually be your sink, since after you empty the container into the trash, you will have to rinse it. (Plastic recycled items should have the little triangle with an appropriate number inside. Appropriate = your community recycling program accepts those numbers.) Trash/Recycle items accordingly. Check expiration dates. If there is no expiration date, OPEN IT, SMELL IT, FEEL IT, AND MAKE AN APPROPRIATE DECISION. Sorry to yell at you, but this is really important. If you are unwilling to do any of these four things, it is Trash. Remove any items you no longer use, love or want. (Tip: if you own a microwave, there is no need to let fresh meat deteriorate in the refrigerator. When you bring the meat home from the grocery store, place it immediately in the freezer. When you want to use it, you can thaw it immediately before cooking in the microwave. Or, the day before use, place it in the refrigerator to thaw. Note: thawing meat on a countertop for a period of time is usually dangerous to your health.)
4. Make a Purge Storage Area. This could be individual paper bags, plastic bags (different than your regular trash bags), boxes, containers, or a section in your laundry room or garage. Label your containers to avoid confusion. Place your Trash, or (rinsed) Recycle piles into the appropriate container. Place that container in its designated space until you get ready to dispose of these items.

Photo Credit dee morguefile.com

Organize

1. Take a look at the remaining refrigerator food.
2. Where do you want their home in your refrigerator to be? Door? Bin? Shelf? Will they fit in this area? Your refrigerator items should have a specific home also. Then, everyone knows where to find the pickles whenever they want some.
3. Would you like to buy organizing products to divide/contain them? Lazy Susans / Turntables? Bins? Baskets? Plastic? Stainless? Color? Style? Size? (Note: you may find it helpful to wait to purchase any organizing products until after you’ve completed decluttering and organizing. For now, just make notes about what you might like and the size it needs to be.)
4. Locate your selection in which to house them.
5. Place your items into your selection. Place the selection into its home.
6. Enjoy being able to find your refrigerator food whenever you need it.
7. Remember to return your refrigerator food to its specific home after each use.

Congratulations! You did it! We’ll continue your Freedom Journey tomorrow. There are only 7 days left to your newly organized kitchen.

“Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.” Psalm 31:4 (New International Version)

Organize Your Kitchen #14 Refrigerator is a post from: Grow Your Organizing Skills

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

We’re on a Freedom Journey (Plastic Ware Reusables) that will declutter and organize your kitchen in 21 days, using about 10 minutes per day. Three weeks will come and go. If you are able to join us on this Freedom Journey, after 21 days, you will be celebrating in your newly organized kitchen. You can do this.

(If this is your Day #13 with us, you’ll notice a pattern. )

Remember, first we declutter. Then we organize.

Declutter

1. Gather all the plastic ware reusables in your kitchen.
2. Sort “like items with like items” – make little piles on the countertop or table – lids, bottoms, squares, rounds, rectangles, etc.
3. Purge through your piles. Designate new areas on the countertop or table as Donate, Sell, Trash, and Recycle piles. You can mark the designated areas with post-it notes or a slip of paper with each title on it. Scan the “like with like” piles. I encourage you to Recycle any container orphans (containers without lids; lids without containers). Remove anything else you think is unusable, and place it in either the Trash or Recycle piles. Recycled items should have the little triangle with an appropriate number inside. “Appropriate” = your community recycling program accepts those numbers. Remove any items you no longer use, love or want, and place them in either the Donate or Sell piles. (When you decide whether to Donate or Sell an item, keep in mind the time, effort, and energy it will take to sell it (auction, garage sale, one-on-one, etc.). Make sure your return on investment is worth it. Consider unchaining yourself from that item by putting it straight into the Donate pile. Someone else really needs it.)
4. Make a Purge Storage Area. This could be individual paper bags, plastic bags (different than your regular trash bags), boxes, containers, or a section in your laundry room or garage. Label your containers to avoid confusion. Place your Donate, Sell, Trash, or Recycle piles into the appropriate container. Place that container in its designated space until you get ready to dispose of these items.

Organize

1. Take a look at the remaining plastic ware reusables.
2. Where do you want their home in your home to be? Pantry? Cabinet? Drawer? Shelving? Will they fit in this area? If not, you may have to go back to the purging step (Donate).
3. Would you like to buy organizing products to divide/contain them? Bins? Baskets? Plastic? Stainless? Wood? Color? Style? Size? (Note: you may find it helpful to wait to purchase any organizing products until after you’ve completed decluttering and organizing. For now, just make notes about what you might like and the size it needs to be.)
4. Locate your selection in which to house them.
5. Place your items into your selection. Place the selection into its home.
6. Enjoy being able to find your plastic ware reusables whenever you need them.
7. Remember to return your plastic ware reusables here after each use.

Congratulations! You did it! We’ll continue your Freedom Journey tomorrow. There are only 8 days left to your newly organized kitchen.

For more suggestions about Plastic Ware Reusables, see this earlier blogpost.

“Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.” Psalm 25:17 (New International Version)

Organize Your Kitchen #13 Plastic Ware Reusables is a post from: Grow Your Organizing Skills

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

We’re on a Freedom Journey (Wrap, Paper, and Ziptop Bags – Foil, Plastic, Wax, Parchment, etc.) that will declutter and organize your kitchen in 21 days, using about 10 minutes per day. Three weeks will come and go. If you are able to join us on this Freedom Journey, after 21 days, you will be celebrating in your newly organized kitchen. You can do this.

(If this is your Day #12 with us, you’ll notice a pattern. )

Remember, first we declutter. Then we organize.

Declutter

1. Gather all the wrap,  paper, and ziptop bags in your kitchen and pantry (foil, plastic, wax, parchment, etc.).
2. Sort “like items with like items” – make little piles on the countertop or table – by type. This is one category for which you may not have extras. And, if you do have extras, they are probably stored somewhere else away from the “main set” of wrap and paper. Make sense? But, let’s get them all together for the moment.
3. Purge through your piles. Designate new areas on the countertop or table as Donate or Trash piles. You can mark the designated areas with post-it notes or a slip of paper with each title on it. Scan the “like with like” piles. Remove anything you think is unusable, and place it in the Trash pile. Remove any items you no longer use, and place them in the Donate pile.
4. Make a Purge Storage Area. This could be individual paper bags, plastic bags (different than your regular trash bags), boxes, containers, or a section in your laundry room or garage. Label your containers to avoid confusion. Place your Donate or Trash piles into the appropriate container. Place that container in its designated space until you get ready to dispose of these items.

Organize

1. Take a look at the remaining wrap, paper, and ziptop bags.
2. Where do you want their home in your home to be? Pantry? Cabinet? Drawer? Shelving? Will they fit in this area? If not, you may have to go back to the purging step (Donate).
3. Would you like to buy organizing products to divide/contain them? On-the-Door Holders? Bins? Baskets? Stacking Shelves? Plastic? Stainless? Wood? Color? Style? Size? (Note: you may find it helpful to wait to purchase any organizing products until after you’ve completed decluttering and organizing. For now, just make notes about what you might like and the size it needs to be.)
4. Locate your selection in which to house them.
5. Place your items into your selection. Place the selection into its home.
6. Enjoy being able to find your wrap,  paper, and ziptop bags whenever you need them.
7. Remember to return your wrap, paper, and ziptop bags here after each use.

Congratulations! You did it! We’ll continue your Freedom Journey tomorrow. There are only 9 days left to your newly organized kitchen.

“He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.” Job 36:16 (New International Version)

Organize Your Kitchen #12 Wrap, Paper, and Ziptop Bags is a post from: Grow Your Organizing Skills

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

Photo Credit xandert at morguefile.com

We’re on a Freedom Journey (Grains, Nuts, and Seeds) that will declutter and organize your kitchen in 21 days, using about 10 minutes per day. Three weeks will come and go. If you are able to join us on this Freedom Journey, after 21 days, you will be celebrating in your newly organized kitchen. You can do this.

(If this is your Day #11 with us, you’ll notice a pattern. J )

Remember, first we declutter. Then we organize.

Declutter

1. Gather all the grains, nuts, and seeds in your kitchen and pantry (breads, pastas, rice, nuts, seeds, etc.).
2. Sort “like items with like items” – make little piles on the countertop or table – by type.
3. Purge through your piles. Designate new areas on the countertop or table as Donate or Trash piles. You can mark the designated areas with post-it notes or a slip of paper with each title on it. Scan the “like with like” piles. Check expiration dates. Remove anything you think is unusable, and place it in the Trash pile. Remove any items you no longer use, and place them in the Donate pile. If in the Sell pile, think hard about Return on Investment for your time. Consider sending it straight to the Donate pile. Someone else really needs it.
4. Make a Purge Storage Area. This could be individual paper bags, plastic bags (different than your regular trash bags), boxes, containers, or a section in your laundry room or garage. Label your containers to avoid confusion. Place your Donate, Sell, Trash, and Recycle piles into the appropriate container. Place that container in its designated space until you get ready to dispose of these items.

Organize

1. Take a look at the remaining grains, nuts, and seeds .
2. Where do you want their home in your home to be? Pantry? Cabinet? Drawer Shelving? Will they fit in this area? If not, you may have to go back to the purging step (Donate or Sell).
3. Would you like to buy organizing products to divide/contain them? Bins? Baskets? Stacking Shelves? Plastic? Stainless? Wood? Color? Style? Size? (Note: you may find it helpful to wait to purchase any organizing products until after you’ve completed decluttering and organizing. For now, just make notes about what you might like and the size it needs to be.)
4. Locate your selection in which to house them.
5. Place your items into your selection. Place the selection into its home.
6. Enjoy being able to find your grains, nuts, and seeds whenever you need them.
7. Remember to return your grains, nuts, and seeds here after each use.

Congratulations! You did it! We’ll continue your Freedom Journey tomorrow. There are only 10 days left to your newly organized kitchen.

“…I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.” Exodus 6:6 (New International Version)

Organize Your Kitchen #11 Pantry Grains, Nuts, and Seeds is a post from: Grow Your Organizing Skills

Reading time: 3 – 4 minutes

We’re on a Freedom Journey (Disposable Products) that will declutter and organize your kitchen in 21 days, using about 10 minutes per day. Three weeks will come and go. If you are able to join us on this Freedom Journey, after 21 days, you will be celebrating in your newly organized kitchen. You can do this.

(If this is your Day #10 with us, you’ll notice a pattern. )

Remember, first we declutter. Then we organize.

Declutter

1. Gather all the disposable products in your kitchen and pantry (napkins, towels, utensils, plates, bowls, cups, etc.). Look in all the drawers, cabinets, countertops, pantry, etc.
2. Sort “like items with like items” – make little piles on the countertop or table – by type – name of item and/or material (plastic, paper, foam, etc.).
3. Purge through your piles. Designate new areas on the countertop or table as Donate, Sell, Trash, and Recycle piles. You can mark the designated areas with post-it notes or a slip of paper with each title on it. Scan the “like with like” piles. Remove anything you think is unusable, and place it in either the Trash or Recycle pile. Remove any items you no longer use, love (?) or want (?), and place them in either the Donate or Sell pile. If in the Sell pile, think hard about Return on Investment for your time. Consider sending it straight to the Donate pile. Someone else really needs it.
4. Make a Purge Storage Area. This could be individual paper bags, plastic bags (different than your regular trash bags), boxes, containers, or a section in your laundry room or garage. Label your containers to avoid confusion. Place your Donate, Sell, Trash, and Recycle piles into the appropriate container. Place that container in its designated space until you get ready to dispose of these items.

Organize

1. Take a look at the remaining disposable products.
2. Where do you want their home in your home to be? Pantry? Cabinet? Drawer Shelving? Will they fit in this area? If not, you may have to go back to the purging step (Donate or Sell).
3. Would you like to buy organizing products to divide/contain them? Bins? Baskets? Stacking Shelves? Plastic? Stainless? Wood? Color? Style? Size? (Note: you may find it helpful to wait to purchase any organizing products until after you’ve completed decluttering and organizing. For now, just make notes about what you might like and the size it needs to be.)
4. Locate your selection in which to house them.
5. Place your items into your selection. Place the selection into its home.
6. Enjoy being able to find your disposable products whenever you need them.
7. Remember to return your disposable products here after each use.

Congratulations! You did it! We’ll continue your Freedom Journey tomorrow. There are only 11 days left to your newly organized kitchen.

“…I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.” Exodus 6:6 (New International Version)

Organize Your Kitchen #10 Disposable Products is a post from: Grow Your Organizing Skills

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

We’re on a Freedom Journey (Bottles and Cans) that will declutter and organize your kitchen in 21 days, using about 10 minutes per day. Three weeks will come and go. If you are able to join us on this Freedom Journey, after 21 days, you will be celebrating in your newly organized kitchen. You can do this.

(If this is your Day #9 with us, you’ll notice a pattern. )

Remember, first we declutter. Then we organize.

Declutter

1. Gather all the bottles and cans in your kitchen and pantry (vegetables, fruits, broths, soups, condiments, vinegars, sauces, meats, syrup, sodas, etc.). Look in all the drawers, cabinets, countertops, pantry, etc.
2. Sort “like items with like items” – make little piles on the countertop or table – however you would like – cans, bottles, by category, etc.
3. Purge through your piles. Designate new areas on the countertop or table as Donate and Trash piles. You can mark the designated areas with post-it notes or a slip of paper with each title on it. Scan the “like with like” piles. Check expiration dates. Remove anything you think is unusable, and place it in the Trash pile. Remove any items you no longer use, love or want, and place them in either the Donate pile. Someone else really needs it.
4. Make a Purge Storage Area. This could be individual paper bags, plastic bags (different than your regular trash bags), boxes, containers, or a section in your laundry room or garage. Label your containers to avoid confusion. Place your Donate and Trash piles into the appropriate container. Place that container in its designated space until you get ready to dispose of these items.

Organize

1. Take a look at the remaining bottles and cans – remember, you use, love or want them.
2. Where do you want their home in your home to be? Pantry? Cabinet? Shelving? Will they fit in this area? If not, you may have to go back to the purging step (Donate or Sell).
3. Would you like to buy organizing products to divide/contain them? Bins? Baskets? Lazy Susans? Plastic? Stainless? Wood? Color? Style? Size? (Note: you may find it helpful to wait to purchase any organizing products until after you’ve completed decluttering and organizing. For now, just make notes about what you might like and the size it needs to be.)
4. Locate your selection in which to house them.
5. Place your items into your selection. Place the selection into its home.
6. Enjoy being able to find your bottles and cans whenever you need them.
7. Remember to return your bottles and cans here after each use.

Congratulations! You did it! We’ll continue your Freedom Journey tomorrow. There are only 12 days left to your newly organized kitchen.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden…’ [except the Tree of Good and Evil]…” Genesis 2:16 (New International Version)

Organize Your Kitchen #9 Pantry Bottles and Cans is a post from: Grow Your Organizing Skills