The Good, The Bad and The Dusty

I don't know what's gotten into me, but I'm in a cleaning/organizing mood lately.  I've been reading some very interesting blogs on the web about organizing closets, drawers, cabinets, etc.  I needed some help.  I started in my laundry room.  I emptied all the cabinets and shelving.  I got rid of things that I simply don't need or use anymore, which cleared out much-needed space. 

This week I started tackling the kitchen.  I didn't realize how much serious cleaning out I needed to do in there.  I thought I'd kept up with things fairly well, but NO.  It had been a long time since I emptied every single item out of all the cabinets, wiped them down and gone thru spices, etc., and throwing away all out-dated items.  Yesterday I found a spice dated 2008 and I was embarrassed.  Today I found Baking Soda dated 2003.  Oops.  Apparently I don't use Baking Soda often, but it's also apparent that I don't deep clean often. 

Also today I pulled out the refrigerator.  Yuck.  I found a pepper shaker, a wooden spoon, a Mio container and enough dust to choke an elephant. 

I do have plans to begin a "program" to schedule my cleaning daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. . . . with the help of my internet printouts.  Hopefully, next October I can blog about how over the past year I have begun to be more organized around the house. 

I also bought a label maker.

I've become a complete idiot about this label maker.   I've labeled containers, shelves, my spices and Tom's head.  Just kidding about Tom's head.  But it's become an obsession.  Next time you are over, if you ever come over, ask me to show you my cabinets.  Mighty fine job, if I do say so myself.

Excuse me for a few minutes . . . . . . ..

I decided to go take a picture of my spice cabinet.  I use LOTS of spices, although I don't need 3 different chili powder containers (like I found yesterday!). 

My kitchen is white and black with red accents so, of course, I got small red baskets for the spices.  Each basket, on bottom shelf, holds 5 spices.  The spices on the middle shelf are some I got at a market in Atlanta for CHEAP. 

Closer look:  Each basket is organized in alphabetical order.  Call me crazy but even before I began my recent cleanup I've always organized my spices alphabetically.  It keeps me sane.

Ok, do you think I'm insane or insanely organized?  Well, at least my laundry room and my kitchen are organized.  Now on to the rest of my house.  It might take me until Christmas to finish, but I can't stop now!