Fine Tuning the Organizational Plan

This past week has brought to my attention small areas that needed better organization.  I re organized the files and removed the plastic tabs on the folders.  Maybe it's me, but they never seem to face the same direction plus my handwriting has always had a lot to be desired.

Last week when I went to the dollar store I picked up a package of white labels designed for use on file folders.  I went through each file and removed the plastic tab replacing them with a label placed in the top left corner.  Consistency.  I need consistency.  I feel that I'm being a bit obsessive about organization, but I'm preparing for a time that I may not be as sharp mentally as I currently am.

I'll have to make it a point to remember to grab before pictures
of things.  The tabs were really ugly, but I'm loving this system with
just the labels on the front of the folder.

I told that to my daughter last night and she exclaimed that she hates those plastic tabs, too.  So, I'm not the only one.  Or have I passed down a gene that she may be angry about in the far future?

I also went through the kitchen drawers thinking I would donate anything that I haven't used in a year.  There was nothing I don't use.  The sore spot is the utensil drawer because it seems to be so crowded and messy.  There are dividers in it, but it still didn't seem to be working well.  The small change made in there - after a good cleaning - was the division of items.  Items not used often went in one section, bulkier items, such as the can opener, went in the second section, and commonly used items went to the middle section.  Measuring cups and bulkier items were placed in front of the long dividers.

One of the changes I made in the utensil drawer was to [lace bulky
items going in the opposite direction.  This appears
to be using space more effectively.

The towel drawer is small so I found a way to make space while adding more items in by folding the towels used to dry dishes in fourths then standing them up rather than laying them down like I have for all these years. 

The towels are folded in half, then in half again.  The ends
are brought up to meet in the center, then again.  The two towels
in the front left are the ones I got at Marshall's for 1.50
each.  A great price for a good quality towel.

I moved on to the laundry room displeased with the number of items that were stored in there.  I have a large coat closet that has plenty of hiding room in it so I moved the steam mop and Swiffer in there as well as the drying rack.  It amazes me that it took three years to figure that one out.  Success sometimes takes time, I told myself and moved on.

The laundry room is not glamorous, but it's clean and
functional.  This is where Marley eats, too.

If you remember from a previous post I made a commitment to check out new items at the dollar store each week since one never knows what could be lurking on those shelves.  I'm keeping the commitment.  I found a loaf of Jewish rye bread from an artisan bakery that quickly went into the basket since it was the only one left.  I also found those little clear rubber thingies that are put in a soap dish to save the soap from wasting.  Double sided tape and a nail file cube went in there as well.  The hauls are small and not too exciting, but the weekly trips are very helpful for staying within my budget.  I've waited years for the nail cube because I wasn't willing to pay four or five dollars for one.  I had no problem going without one. 

The seedlings that are in the window are doing well and appear to be growing strong.   The new to me heirloom melon seeds that a friend sent me 3000 miles across the country are a major focus this year because it's the first time I've grown them.   It'll be interesting to watch their maturing cycle.

This tray holds a tomato, marigolds, and a melon plant.

Happy looking tomato plants.  I culled out the weaker ones.

On the left are cucumbers and to the right are melons.

The sun is peeking out so I need to get moving in the garden to remove those tiny pesky weeds.  Remember, if you don't pay rent, you don't live here!

Stay safe.