Is January National Re-Organization Month?

Because, honestly, I think it must be official!  Stores like Walmart and Target are having specials on plastic storage bins, The Container Store is sending me near daily emails with organizing tips, whille quilt bloggers de-stash, refold fabric, and straighten out their sewing rooms.  Okay, the bug bit me! 

First, I reorganized our spices and herbs.  You know, all those tiny bottles and cans from McCormick (and others).  We once had a nice spice rack but it held a too limited array of spices and took up too much kitchen counter space, so I had been keeping all the containers in three shoe boxes in a kitchen cabinet.  A trip to The Container Store later and those boxes are stacked in the cabinet using a wire cabinet shelf and most-often-used items and odd size bottles are on a spinning turntable, all in less space than before.

Second, it has been unusually cold here in NJ, meaning we need hats, scarves, and gloves when outside.  We keep them in a small chest of drawers in the foyer.  It's handy and has plenty of space but as I was digging through, looking for my warmest gloves, it became obvious we had become hat and glove pack-rats.  A quick sorting weeded out the single, unpaired mittens, gloves from Miss Main Street's elementary school years that will never fit on her hands again, and a couple of hats that went with snowsuits from the same era.  With fewer items to stow, it was easier put everything away in an organized fashion; one drawer for each person, what a concept!  It will be faster to find those gloves next time I need them.   

While it is tempting to tackle my sewing room next, I think I'll let it wait.  It's even more tempting to sew.  So, back to our regularly scheduled activity.