Today's Organizing Tip

A place for organizing, simplifying, checklists, challenges and ta-das.
Indiana

Re: Today's Organizing Tip

Postby Indiana » Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:09 am

Herb Pots

Give each herb its own personalized pot, and you'll never snip the wrong sprigs -- or lose the markers -- again. Clustered together, the pots make a charming little garden. Individually, they're portable and easy to handle: Bring the basil indoors, for example, when making pesto, instead of stooping in the garden. When you plant the herbs, label the rims in several places with a permanent felt-tip marker, and use these pots year after year.

Indiana

Re: Today's Organizing Tip

Postby Indiana » Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:09 am

Buffet Place Setting

Bundle place mat, napkin, and utensils in one convenient roll. Begin with a reed mat and 18 inches of 3/4-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon. Thread ribbon from below, between first and second reeds from right (leaving 6-inch overhang). Thread down a few reeds away. Bring up about 1 1/4 inches from right edge. Loop knife handle; pass through mat. Do the same over fork and napkin. Roll up mat from left. Tie ribbon bow around roll, and trim.

Indiana

Re: Today's Organizing Tip

Postby Indiana » Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:10 am

Dish Rack

Use a cookie sheet to catch drips, and your drying rack won't have to hover at the sink's edge anymore. Available at restaurant-supply stores, the sheet has one-inch vertical sides to prevent runoff wherever you place it. And since it's made of metal, it resists mildew better than a rubber tray or a dish towel.

Indiana

Re: Today's Organizing Tip

Postby Indiana » Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:08 pm

Cut Down on Makeup Clutter

1. PURGE things you don’t need or use anymore.

•Give things to friends or family members
•More does not always equal better
•Get rid of doubles

2. KNOW THE DATE. Make sure you get rid of what’s EXPIRED.

Makeup collects bacteria over time. It expires and needs to be thrown out. Makeup companies are not required to print expiration dates. Shelf life varies from product to product and brand to brand, here are some general guidelines:

•Concealer: 6 to 8 months
•Powder, Eye Shadow, Blush and Bronzer: 1 year
•Eyeliner and Mascara: 3 months - *NEVER keep these two longer than 3 months! The eyes are the area of the body most prone to infection. Pumping your mascara or eyeliner pushes bacteria into the tube increasing your risk of infection.
•Lip Stick: 1 year
•Lip Gloss: 6 months to 1 year

3. PRIORITIZE your everyday items and things you need easy access too.

•All other items can be stored in drawers or cabinets
•Things you haven’t worn in more than 3 months can generally be tossed.
•Group all of your “everyday” items together and your “special occasion” items together.

4. Take INVENTORY

•Make a list of the things you have, and the things you need to purchase to fill in the gaps. This will help you to not over shop on your next trip out and only buy the things you need to replace.
•Don’t hang onto things you never liked to begin with. Not everything looks as great at home as we expected it to in the store, and this isn’t likely to change over time.
•If you can’t remember when you purchased it, trash it.
•When in doubt, throw it out!

5. ORGANIZE

Once you’ve chosen the storage solution that suits your needs, group like items together; things for your eyes, lips, face, tools, etc. This will not only help you find what you need when you need it, but will also speed up your routine.

•Group things by purpose rather than color
•Find the storage solutions that work best for you and your needs
•Drawer dividers, individual makeup caddies, make your own.
•You can make your own makeup brush holder- put marbles or vase filler in a bowl or a container that you already have and stick your brushes right in.

6. MAINTAIN

•Organization isn’t just about things looking better, it’s about functioning better. Remember to return things to their designated spot. Soon enough, it will become habit.
•Make it a habit to do a mini purge every 3 months
•Keep a sharpie in your makeup kit to write the expiration dates on new items so you know when they expire.
TIPS: Not sure how old something is or if you should hang on to it?
•Smell it. Much like food, makeup has preservatives which breakdown over time. If you notice an odor, it could be from bacteria and the product should be thrown out.
•Items that have changed in color or texture should be discarded immediately. Beauty products, especially cream-based one, will settle or separate over time and simply won’t perform the same.

Nate Burkus Show

Indiana

Re: Today's Organizing Tip

Postby Indiana » Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:08 pm

Shell Salt and Pepper Dishes

For summer, tables use an even number of clam or scallop shells and run through the dishwasher. Fill half the shells with salt and the other half of shells with pepper.

Indiana

Re: Today's Organizing Tip

Postby Indiana » Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:45 pm

Kids’ Travel Kit
Here's a Good Thing to help keep your children entertained on the way to your destination: a kids' travel kit.

Tools and Materials
Plastic container
Assorted stickers
Road Sign Bingo
Map (route highlighted)
Glue stick
Colored pencils
Crayons
Markers
Activity book (coloring book)
Educational book
Paper bead necklace kit
Journal
Snacks
Water

  1. Let your kids decorate a clear container with stickers and other embellishments.
  2. For the car bingo game, make a bingo sheet using road signs. Put in a plastic sleeve. When a player spots a road sign represented on the board, he or she marks the corresponding picture with an erasable marker. The first player to mark five pictures in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, wins. This game is recommended for children over 4 years old.
  3. Make an enlarged color photocopy of a map and mark your travel route with a highlighter pen. Giving kids their own maps will help them to develop a sense of direction, distance, and time.
  4. Be sure to include writing instruments, such as crayons or colored pencils, as well as an activity book and educational book. Always include a healthy snack, such as trail mix, and a water bottle with a top.

Indiana

Re: Today's Organizing Tip

Postby Indiana » Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:47 pm

Meat Temperature Chart

Beef

Rare
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): n/a
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 115 degrees

Medium-Rare
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 145 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 120 degrees to 130 degrees

Medium
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 160 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 140 degrees

Medium-Well
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): n/a
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 150 degrees

Well-Done
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 170 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 155 degrees to 160 degrees

Ground Beef

USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 160 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 160 degrees

Pork

Medium
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 160 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 145 degrees

Well-Done
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 170 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 160 degrees

Ground Pork

USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 160 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 160 degrees

Lamb

Rare
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): n/a
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 110 degrees to 115 degrees

Medium-Rare
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 145 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 130 degrees

Medium
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 160 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 140 degrees

Medium-Well
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): n/a
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 145 degrees to 150 degrees

Well-Done
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 160 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 150 degrees to 155 degrees

Ground Lamb

USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 170 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 160 degrees

Poultry

Whole Bird, Thighs, Legs, Wings, Ground Poultry
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 165 degrees
Professional Kitchens (Before Resting): 165 degrees

Boneless Chicken Breasts
USDA Guidelines (Before Resting): 165 degrees

Indiana

Re: Today's Organizing Tip

Postby Indiana » Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:49 pm

Cocktail Accompaniments Platter

A basic white platter just might be the most versatile item in your cupboard. Use it to corral cocktail garnishes in small containers.

Offer accompaniments to cocktails: citrus wedges (for gin and vodka tonics), olives and caper berries (martinis, Bloody Marys), and cocktail onions (Gibsons).

Indiana

Re: Today's Organizing Tip

Postby Indiana » Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:49 pm

Hulling Strawberries

Use a grapefruit knife to hull strawberries. The curved blade will cut away the stems smoothly while leaving most of the fruit intact.

Indiana

Re: Today's Organizing Tip

Postby Indiana » Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:52 pm

Finish Errands in a Flash

Taking a left-hand turn on a busy two-way street can be a maddening. UPS developed a software program that maps out delivery routes using a majority of right turns. UPS employees now use this trick on their off-hours and swear that it can trim at least a minute from each errand—and five errands an hour means five to 10 minutes' worth of saved time.

Borrow another trick from the company's drivers, who are trained to put their key rings on their pinky finger when they exit the truck. It saves me so much time. If you're carrying groceries, you don't have to dig in your purse for keys—they're right there on your little finger.


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