Photo: Cool Things

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Photo: Barkdog, Flickr

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Photo: cesarastudillo, Flickr

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Freeze foods, save money! Photo: L. Marie, Flickr

Yes, Freeze Them!

Fresh whipped cream, butter, milk, cheese, root ginger (grate it as you need it), nuts, grated coconut, homemade pancakes, herbs (e.g. fresh rosemary and basil) and spices, meat or vegetable stock, cooked rice, tomato paste, bread dough, pizza dough, cookies, cakes, pies, sauces, Chinese takeout, vodka (and rum and tequila - the alcohol won't freeze, but the cold keeps them chilled).

Eww, Don't Freeze These!

Salad greens, baked potatoes, raw potatoes, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, lettuce, parsley, tomatoes, cream sauces, cream cheese (okay in a casserole), meringue, citrus fruits, mayonnaise (but okay in a casserole), egg whites (they turn rubbery), cream and custard pies, cooked pasta (freeze in a sauce instead), gelatin, fried foods, fruit jelly sandwiches.

Get around the do-no-freeze list by knowing food preparation tricks for each of these food. For example, lightly cooked potatoes freeze well even though raw ones don't. Also, pickled vegetables freeze well, too. For example, picked cabbage and celery would keep well where their fresh cousins would turn to stinky mush after freezing.

Check out the Former Fat Guy Blog for a fantastic overview of how to prep fresh foods for freezing!

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File in style with these craftastic folders. Photo: Making Chicken Salad

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Don't let moving stress overwhelm you! Photo: Betsssssy, Flickr

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Stop losing your keys (and marbles!) with our quick tips. Photo: Jonjk, Flickr

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So you are moving. You are not alone. Approximately 40 million Americans will change their home address this year. Whether you are moving across the country or around the corner being organized will help things go more smoothly on both ends.

1) Purge. Moving is the perfect opportunity to lay your hands on all of your belongings. Give them the critical eye. Is it useful? Is it beautiful? Does it make your life better? If the answer to all of those questions is no, then get rid of it. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you might find a place for it at your new house. Odds are if you didn't like it enough to find a place for it at our current home, you won't find a place for it at your new home either.

2) Begin early. It is never too soon to start packing before a move. There are many things in your home that can be boxed up in advance and not missed. Seasonal items, toys, seldom used kitchen appliances come to mind first. Even decorations and pictures can be boxed up a month or more in advance. Find one area of your home to store the packed boxes.

3) Quantity. You will need more boxes than you think. Look around objectively at all of your things. Estimate how many boxes you think you will need to use. Double that number and it will probably be a good place to start. Do the same for the packing tape.

4) Think of your back. Remember, don't make your boxes too heavy to lift. There is nothing worse than struggling with boxes that are too heavy.

5) Like with like. Begin packing a box in one room and finish packing in the same room. No matter how tempting it is to just fit that one random item into that space in the box, resist the urge.

6) Label it. Label your boxes with the room they are going to in your new house, not necessarily the room they are in at your current house. Colored dot stickers are perfect for having a visual reminder. Each room has a different color dot. When you arrive at your new home stick a corresponding colored dot on the door of the room. When people are helping to carry in your boxes they won't have to pause and ask each time where you want it to go.

7) Mark it. With a permanent marker write on the outside of the box exactly what is contained in the box. Even if you think you will remember. You won't. Heck, by the fiftieth box you pack you won't even remember why you wanted to move in the first place.

8) This leads me to, mark all sides of the box. It might seem like overkill, but I assure it is not. Invariably one of your helpers will stack the boxes in the corner of the room with the labeling facing the wall. You don't want to have to move the boxes or climb on top of them just to find out their contents.

9) Get real moving boxes. Craigslist is a great resource for used moving boxes. While it is fine to collect random boxes from stores, they don't fit together as well as moving boxes. This is especially important if you have tight moving van space and/or a long distance move.

10) Use unprinted newsprint to pack fragile items with. You can get the end of rolls from your local newspaper or you can buy rolls from any of the moving van rental companies. While it is fine to use newspaper, the print will rub off on your items and you will have to wash everything on the other end of your move. Decide for yourself if saving a few dollars is worth the hassle.

11) Last On/ First Off, or things you can not live without. These will be in the last boxes to get on the truck and be the first off. Distinguish these couple of boxes somehow from all the others. Paint them red, let the children color them, whatever the case may be so that you can locate these boxes easily in the sea of cardboard.

What should be in these boxes?

Think about the items that you can not live without, or of you have children what they can not live without. Coffeemaker, coffee, DVD player, shampoo, vodka... whatever it is that you will need at your new home before the heavy duty unpacking begins.

Cleaning supplies. Designate one of the last on/ first off boxes to these items. Think hand soap, paper towels, toilet paper, paper plates, plastic cups, that sort of thing. Inside one of these boxes you also want a big box of black trash bags. Remember all of that paper you just wrapped your things in? Somehow on the other end of your move this paper will multiply.

Bed linens. Most likely you will want to sleep at some point after your move. Make sure that you clearly label your bed linens so that you can immediately make your beds after setting them up. Consider that part of unpacking. You will be happy later that night.

12) Random personal items such as a change of clothes, toothbrushes, that stuffed animal your child can not possibly sleep without, put in one of your suitcases and toss in your car. This is also a good place to put the remote controls, power cords, cameras, and mail. Things you don't want to get lost in the shuffle and were probably using up until the last moments.

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We all know people who can no longer fit their car into their garage. Perhaps we are even among them. (Hey, I just moved, okay? And we downsized dramatically! And there are no basements! And, and, and... I'll take my own advice soon, I swear!) The garage has become a repository for all the stuff that they have nowhere to store. Look around your neighborhood, I am willing to bet that most people are using at least one of their garages for storage.

Did you know that Americans are renting storage units to store all of the stuff that won't fit into their houses? According to this article "self-storage units cover 72 square miles, the area of Manhattan and San Francisco combined." That's a whole lot of people storing a whole lot of stuff, that frankly they probably do not need.

My take on the self storage phenomenon for the average suburban American? Get rid of it. Make decisions about what you really use and need, then get rid of the rest. If it isn't useful or making your life better in some way, then you do not need it. The problem that most people have is that they do not organize their stuff and therefore they cannot find it when they need it.

Where do you begin.

First ask yourself what the things are that need to be stored in the garage? Begin by making a list of the items you need to live in your garage. It might be different from mine.

Sports Equipment
Yard toys
Tools
Lawn/garden care
Seasonal Storage
Cars

Next thing about where to logically store these items in your garage.

I have the toys and sports equipment stored on the wall near the entrance into the house. Presumably the children can put their stuff away while they are on their way into the house from playing outside or coming home from a sporting event. Not that this actually happens every time, but at least I can say, "You walked right by it!"

Similarly, store things like your lawnmower and other lawn care items near the back door of your garage where you enter and exit to your yard.

Install some shelving on which you can store bins. Ikea has some fabulously inexpensive shelving that gets the job done. If you are handy you could also build similar shelving with 2x4s. The Container Store also has shelving units for the garage. They are decidedly more expensive, but if the aesthetics of your garage storage matter to you, the elfa system might be more to your liking.

Containerize. Yes, this is so a word. The things you use regularly need to be the most accessible. If you have to work to get the items you need, your system won't last, no matter how good your intentions. For example, I keep all of the out of season sports gear segregated into individual containers: baseballs one bin, baseball gloves a second bin, baseball pants yet another bin. And because I don't readily need these bins I store them on one of the highest shelves. When baseball season comes I know exactly where to find what I need and I bring the bins down and replace them with whatever other off season sporting items need storage. Items that are used regularly are stored permanently on lower shelves.

Make the container fit. Small items, small container. Large items, large container. You don't want to be searching through a shoebox sized bin for the proper sized screw.

Label. Label the bins and the shelves. That way there is never a question of where things belong. I am a fan of removable labels on the shelving, just in case there is a time when you might want to rearrange the way things are stored. You might decide that your Christmas lights need to be readily accessible at anytime, you never know.

Go up. Large screws in the ceiling of your garage can hold bikes or ladders.

Hopefully taking these few steps will get that car back in the garage or at the very least enable you to walk through the garage without tripping.

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Not everyone has a dedicated mudroom for storing their coats, shoes, backpacks and other paraphernalia. However, even the smallest coat closet can be made into an effective and organized space. Many people like to keep the coat closet relatively empty for guests. Unless you're entertaining daily, reclaim your coat closet and instead get a coat tree for your front hall for hanging guests coats.

Reclaim your coat closet in these three easy steps:

Step One: Remove. Pull everything out of the closet. Yes, every single thing. As you pull the items out, segregate them into piles. Kids' coats, grown-up coats, hats, kids shoes, etc

Step Two: Assess. Decide what actually needs to live inside the closet. Can your vacuum cleaner move to a different location? What about all of your dress coats? I have many and realized one day that they don't all have to be in the front hall closet when I have a walk-in closet in my master bedroom. Move any of these items to their new home.

Step Three: Purge. Go through your items and get rid of anything that you don't need, like coats that no longer fit, mismatched gloves and mittens, scarves you never actually wear, and boots that are too small. Donate whatever is still usable to a shelter and throw away the rest.

Now you are left with the things that you have decided actually belong in your closet. It's time to organize.

Consider how you live and use your things. For example, if you live somewhere rainy, you don't want your umbrellas stored in a basket on high shelf out of reach. This system will just frustrate you and cause you not to use it.

Try hanging the rod higher than normal. This will give you room underneath the rod to either hang another rod, install some shelving, or even use some drawers to store the kids' socks and mittens. Remember if the kids can't reach it themselves, they aren't going to be able to put it away. One of the best things that you can do for them, and yourself, is to teach them to be self sufficient.

Think outside the box. An over-the-door shoe organizer doesn't have to be for shoes. Use it for scarves, mittens, and hats. It can also be a great place to store a pen and some note cards for those last-minute notes you need to send off to school.

Think like a child. They do not like to put stuff away. Make it easy for them. Instead of a second lower clothing rod, try some coat hooks. They can hang up their coats and backpacks themselves.

Alternately, hooks on the back of the door are perfect for hanging backpacks and purses. A set of hooks down low for the children and another set up high for the grown-ups.

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supershoppertoo, Flickr

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Etsy houses some of the greatest upcyclers to date, and the Rae Rae Sisters are certainly included in the mix. While browsing their fun DIY-based shop, I came across a fantastic new use for that rusted cheese grater you wouldn't dream of cooking with: a pencil holder.

Of course, it's not nearly as kid-friendly as Bethany's pick, but it's fun and inventive, nonetheless. And if you're looking for another fabulous DIY pencil holder, check out what Chica and Jo did with their phone book!

Inspired yet? Maybe one last link will do the trick...

Now you've no excuse to hide those pencils behind your ear [you know who you are!]!

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Dealing with the mail that comes into my house has become the bane of my existence. I have heard the advice from all the organizational experts, telling me the first thing to do to gain control over the mail clutter is to stop the mail from coming into your house to begin with. Think of it as being eco-friendly too. Save the trees along with your sanity.

Here's a list of websites to help you get control of the junk mail:

1) Direct Market Association They provide their mail preference service to marketers for the sole purpose of removing consumers' names and addresses from the marketers' mailing lists.

2) End the credit card solicitations Register at this site to rid yourself of those endless credit card solicitations.

3) Catalog choice is a website that will let you opt out of unwanted catalogs.

4) Want someone else to handle it all for you? 41pounds will do just that for a fee. Interesting note, the company is named 41 pounds because that is the weight of the junk mail the average American receives every year.

Second, pay your bills online. Are you still paying your bills the old fashioned way, using checks and stamps and envelopes? How quaint. Now stop it. If every U.S. home viewed and paid its bills online, the switch would cut solid waste by 1.6 billion tons a year and curb greenhouse-gas emissions by 2.1 million tons a year.

Have your paychecks directly deposited into your account. Enroll in automatic bill pay with places that do this such as: gym memberships, daycares, and schools. My son's orthodontist had this set up and it was great not to have to think about it every month. Many banks allow you to pay your bills electronically for free. You will still, however, get a paper bill in the mail. Check out this extensive list of companies that will send you a bill electronically instead.

You can go completely paperless by joining a bill pay service. For a fee companies will collect all of your bills and send you email reminders to pay them, which you then do electronically. The US Postal Service has eBillPay for a fee of $5.95 per month. Or check out CheckFree.com

Third, start a trend of using electronic invitations rather than traditional invitations within your circle of friends. There are several different online sites for sending electronic invitations, evites being the most widely used. I find electronic invitations so much easier to keep organized. They come to my email, I reply instantly and add the date to my desktop and iPhone calenders.

I also have a huge wall calendar that I write on so the children and I can see the entire month at a single glance. Nope, can't jet off to Paris this weekend -- we have two baseball games, a birthday party, and swimming lessons. Not that anyone has asked me to jet off to Paris at a moment's notice, but if they did I would instantly know whether I could go. Or not.

Next time: How to organize the non-junk mail that still comes to your home.

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So, now that you have taken the steps to reduce the influx of junk mail, how do you organize the mail that is still coming into your home? You need to develop a system. Remember that only you know what will work for your needs. Plenty of organizational systems sound good in theory, but might not be right for you.

This mail sorter has a place for everything in one compact space, making it easy to tuck into the corner of your desk or kitchen counter.

If you have a little more room and are looking for something that will also look attractive as well as functional, this desk top organizer will hold much more than just your mail. The Florence Desk Organizer has drawers and divided slots to hold mail, stamps, scissors, envelopes, and a small toddler -- whatever you need to tuck away.

Don't need to have something complicated. A series of attractive folders can do the trick also.

Personally, I love the streamlined appearance of this type of system. The folders can be labeled and changed according your changing needs. One idea is to label a folder with the month. Everything that needs to be filed for that month just goes into the folder. At the end of the month the folder goes to live permanently in the file cabinet. I know some of you are saying, "But everything needs to be filed separately!" To that I say, "Pshaw!" It is that sort of perfectionist thinking that prevents us from doing any organizing at all. Strive to be just good enough; it's very freeing!

Locker baskets from See Jane Work can hold school papers, file folders, and your mail, all stylishly in one place.

Limited desk or counter space?

Perhaps a hanging wall unit is what you need. It can hold all of your catalogs, magazines, and notices sent home from school. The trick is that once each pocket is full, you EMPTY IT. Do not start piling new magazines elsewhere.

Not that I know a thing about that.

Remember, there is nothing that says all of your needs have to be solved in one place. If my outgoing mail is not right next to the door, I will never remember to mail it.

This letter/key holder has a nice sleek design. If you don't have a lot of incoming or outgoing mail, it would be a great choice to handle both of those needs.

I like this for next to the back door, or perhaps entrance to garage. Hanging your keys there means that you will never leave without looking at it. Perfect if you are like me and forget to mail grandma's birthday card until two months past her birthday.

This wall mounted unit does everything but pay the bills for you. The slots are adjustable to suit your needs and can be labeled. Have more than one person in your household receiving mail? This just might be the solution for keeping all of you organized.

If you want to pull out the big guns and organize not just your mail, but your entire life, Pottery Barn has fabulous modular wall units. They can help you get a handle not just on your mail, but help organize your electronic devices, you calendar, your magazines, keys, you name it. And look great while doing it.

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If you have a home workspace, it might be likely that it's also a multi-purpose space -- which means that you'll want it looking clean and organized as much as possible, since it's not only you who has to look at it.

Whether it's a desk in the corner of your guest room, a built-in nook off your kitchen, or a laptop on your ottoman with a portable file box, we think you'll find these organizing tips helpful for creating a space that's clean and clutter-free.

And speaking of clutter-free, check out our creative idea for organizing your computer cables with this surprising piece of plastic!

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Do you ever look through the magazines with envy? How do those houses look so nice? Where do they have all the detritus of life stored? Where are all the fingerprints? And WHERE are the toys?

Well, it turns out that you do not have to sacrifice style just because you have children. Your house does not have to look like a toy store showroom threw up everywhere.

First and foremost, consider how you live-- how you really live, not the way you wish you lived. This means if you live in a house with messy people who spill things (and really doesn't this describe most children?), you will want to step away from the white silk furniture. If you have young children you are going to have different needs than if you have teenagers. Having both, I will tell you that I am not sure who is harder on furniture.

Washable paint is your friend. Paint comes in several different sheens. Flat, eggshell, semi-gloss and high gloss are examples; each paint manufacturer may have slightly different names for the type of paint. They like to confuse us like that. No matter how much you love flat paint, don't use it. It will be a mistake.

Children touch walls. They will walk down the hall and drag their dirty little hands on the wall. They will rub their bodies against the wall. There will come a time when you will see dirty footprints on your wall five feet in the air. Don't even bother asking, just rest comfortably in the knowledge that you can wash the wall without damaging the paint.

Create an area just for your children within the room. Children like to be with you. Young children don't like to be off all alone in a separate playroom somewhere. They will drag their toys from the playroom to be where you are. Embrace it. Look for ways to store the toys attractively.

Do you have a corner of the room where you can put down a small area rug to delineate their space? Place a child- sized table there for them to work on games or color. A low bookcase can be turned into a comfortable window seat by adding a cushion to the top. Some floor pillows next to the bookcase can make a perfect place for relaxing and reading books.

The same floor pillows work well for teenagers to lounge on the floor while watching TV or playing video games. Teenagers travel in packs. Have enough places for all of them to sit. Make them comfortable so that they will want to hang out at your house.

Containerize. A place for everything and everything in its place. Make it easy for your children to take care of their own things. Containers do not have to be ugly, primary colored, plastic eyesores. Wicker baskets are functional AND attractive. They also hide the toys when the children aren't actively playing, creating a clean and uniform look to your shelving. Get rid of the the plastic DVD cases and store your DVDs in attractive binders.

Choose multi-functional furniture. This could be something as simple as a coffee table that opens for storage inside. Upholstered ottomans that open for storage can do double duty as additional seating spaces. Once you have teenagers, there are never enough places for all of their friends to sit. Cabinets with doors in which to hide board games, legos, art supplies are also perfect choices.

Think durable. Children are rough of furniture. Choose upholstery that can withstand abuse and hide spills. Thinking of buying new furniture, you might want to check out the color of the stains on your current furniture before choosing a color. Alternately, you can buy washable slipcovers. They are easy to wash and replace should they get stained. So you can't have that white couch, you can have bright and cheery throw pillows.

Find a large coffee table that can withstand dings and bangs. We have one that is already "aged" so that the inevitable marks are relatively unnoticed. It is the perfect place for sitting around to play board games or for holding snacks during movies. Teenagers love their snacks. I have a friend who had plexi-glass cut to fit the top of her coffee table. Now she no longer worries about scratches or spills.

Don't forget about safety. For a house with small children look out for sharp corners on furniture. Make sure that there is ample room around the furniture for running around. Bolt bookcases and other heavy furniture to the walls. Your children will try to scale the furniture to get something out of their reach no matter how many times you tell them not to do it. Glass tabletops are a thing of the past.

Continue to decorate with things you love. No need to put all of your pretty decorations away. Of course if you have anything extremely valuable or irreplaceable, you don't want to have it sitting out in the line of fire. But vases, picture frames, and other breakables need not be relegated to gated off rooms. Children learn to appreciate beauty by living with it. Yes, things will occasionally get broken. Having pretty things to look at will make you happy while you try to overlook the stained furniture, the dings on your coffee table, and the fingerprinted walls.

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