Primary Storage, Secondary Storage, Long Term Storage

My dear friends just recently moved from a big country house into a rather small city house. They had to move rather quickly though so their things were packed in a hurry and just put down basically anywhere in the new house. So when I walked in there were boxes piled everywhere and with my friend's husband at work, she decided to just try to set up the living room. We did this pretty easily once we go started by just removing what didn't belong. After a rest and a chat, we were motivated to attack the kitchen. Here's where some real decisions had to be made. Since my friend's husband is a professional chef, he has tons of pots and pans, serving platters, and kitchen gadgets - and I mean all of them! Well this is a tiny kitchen.

So we started making decisions using the three storage categories that I am sure every professional organizer knows: primary storage, secondary storage and long term storage.

Primary storage is for the items you use every day and should be stored right where you use them: cutting board on the counter, glassware near the dishwasher, etc.

Secondary storage is for things you use once a week or so. They can be stored in higher cupboards like crock pots, serving platters, etc.

Long term storage is for things you use once or twice a year such as holiday decorations, certain tools. etc. these things can go into the garage or somewhere where it may take time to get them out.

Back to my friend's kitchen - the amount of secondary storage items in this situation would never fit into this kitchen. So I thought where would you store all of this stuff if you were in a big house? A butler's pantry!

So we took a big shelf and put it in the garage which is right off the kitchen and created a place for all of these over sized bean pots, steamers, mixers, etc. There's even an outlet if he wants to plug one in right there to do some slow cooking without taking up space in the pantry.

So he has his butler's pantry. With the two main rooms done, the others are quickly being organized and I know they'll be happy back in their little city house - especially because they're my neighbors!

Still Digging Out!

I am still digging out from this move. Our last renter finally moved all of his stuff out on Friday, but unfortunately we still have lots of extra furniture that won't fit in this smaller house. One would think I'd have everything put away by now, but I of course, consider each thing I have and weather or not I really need it. 

We also decided to repaint in a new light chocolate shade that looks very contemporary. Being as busy as we are right now, my husband spends about an hour a day painting and it's really coming along. 

I've always had the attitude that any big job can be done a bit at a time. So I try to unpack one box each night when I get home from work and do one load of laundry. We'll get there. 

If you're facing a big dig out from clutter or any kind of disorganization, check out the Fly Lady's site. No matter where you are in your process of getting it together she has figured out systems to keep you progressing. Her basic philosophy is the same as mine, and I'm a big fan of hers.

When Minimalism is Really Needed!

We are now trying once again, to sell our flip house that didn't sell last summer. The difference this time is we have moved into it. So, now it is staged with our furniture. Our realtor told us that at our open house people kept saying, "Oh wow, this house has been staged," and he kept telling them, no the owners live here, this is how they live. That is what a life without clutter can do.

I have a zero tollerance for clutter. Instead of decorating with items, I try to see the beauty in a shiny stainless steel fridge or the colors I choose to paint the walls. I chose my lamps as art pieces instead of choosing plain lamps and adding nick-knacks on the tables underneath. Small everyday items can clutter a room too. A decoative box for example, is a great way to hide all of the remotes, reading glasses, etc. that get left out. Another trick is to thread a surge protector through the back of a secertary type desk. Then you can charge your cell phones, cameras, etc. out of site yet, still right at hand.

At any rate, I am happy that my minimalist philosophy is working. Now if we can just sell this house!
Here are some pictures:

Save Energy: Sleep Naked

In my efforts to be creative about saving energy, I have tried to cut down on laundry and especially using the drier. I was noting that I don't have to wash any PJs for my husband because he sleeps au natural. It actually cuts down on a lot of laundry, assuming one would wear sleep wear once and throw it into the wash. That's 365 items! That's got to be a lot of laundry! So, I decided to join him in this conservation effort. After all, less laundry means, less energy used, less water used, and less work for me! Here's a pastel drawing of someone contributing to this cause. If you'd like to see more of my art work you can visit my art blog: Banba's Artful Realm.

Minimalist Living: Fifteen Ways I Have Saved Energy

1. By turning off the lights! Sounds simple, but when I really became conscious of it, I realized we left lights on all over the place. Outdoor lights left on during the day were a big offender.

2. I connected surge protectors to both our TVs and now turn them off there. This cuts down on standby energy drain. I do keep my DVR cable box plugged into the wall though because I record only what I want to watch and then watch it when I'm in the mood. This has cut down on my TV watching as well.

3. I plugged in my make up mirror, flat iron and blow dryer into a surge protector. This helped me because I turn them all off at once on the surge protector and I never leave one of them on by mistake any more.

4. Every time a light bulb goes, I replace it with a compact fluorescent bulb. I like to get the longest lasting bulbs possible because that means I won't have to deal with it for a long time. Our house has some tall ceilings and stairwells!

5. I installed floor to ceiling thermal curtains in the hottest parts of our home. They keep it cool in summer and warm in winter.

6. In the winter time when it's cold, instead of cranking up the heat, I fire up the stove and do some batch cooking. It warms up the whole house!

7. I placed umbrella tables on my front and back decks in front of large windows to block some of the sun as a tree would. They also provide shade for my cat and dog.

8. I set my Energy Star washer to the quickest setting - 35 minutes. Everything seems to come out just as clean as they do on a longer cycle.

9. I hang up a lot of the wash. I try to have a hang up load and then a dryer load. I don''t have a clothes line,  just a tension shower rod in my laundry room where I hang things on hangers. (It's mostly shirts and my fluffy skirts.)  Socks, towels and jeans always come out better tumbled I think. I also set throw rugs and comforters outside to dry.

10. The refrigerator is supposed to be the most energy thirsty appliance in a home. They run better when full, so I fill the freezer with bags of home made ice, bread and frozen homemade food. My husband does a pretty good job keeping the fridge filled up with beer! I also vacuum the coils regularly and try to have an awareness about not leaving it ajar!

11. We installed a programable thermostat and turn the air or heat off when we leave the house.

12. I alternate between sweeping and vacuuming the hardwood floors.

13. I bought a Voltair Solar Backpack and keep it on our super hot deck and charge our cell phones, iPods, and rechargable battery charger with solar energy.

14. I set our Energy Star dishwasher to the lowest setting - 35 minutes. The dishes still get clean and I don't have to wait around so long to put them away.

15. We moved into the city. This saves us gas because we walk a lot, and a lot of stove time because we hit every happy hour in our neighborhood!

Reducing Plastic Bags: Why it's worth it!

Once again I feel I need to write about garbage. 

I am quite opposed to the use of plastic grocery bags. It looks like there will soon be  a charge for them here in Portland if our wonderful new mayor, Sam Adams has his way. I backed him on this before he was elected and perhaps now we will start living up to our green reputation!

Here's something that happened to me in a local supermarket just yesterday. I was in line and when the checker asked me if plastic was okay, I said, "Oh no, I have my own bag."

The woman in front of me turned as she was leaving and said, " Now I suppose the green police are going to get me."

Taken aback, I replied, " Oh, I just don't like them accumulating in my cupboards."

Ignoring me, she turned back to the checker and said, " No, I really mean it."

So here I am, trying to sell this woman on using her own bags, (which is in my nature,) instead of being insulted by her accusatory remark about me, a perfect stranger. Heaven forbid, she think I am the green police! 

So,  for any of my readers that are into minimalism, but not going green, here are some reasons why reducing your use of plastic bags is worth it.

1. They junk up our cupboards.

2. They can carry bacteria from whatever food, such as produce was in them.

3. They fill up your garbage can, costing you money.

4. They litter our highways (which is ugly), because they don't break down as fast as paper would.

5. They harm wild animals. You're in favor of animals right? Like the Animal Planet, right?

Here is one reason why the "Green Police" would like you to curtail your use of this vile product. It is a quote from Chrissie Hynde,

" It's ruining the Earth so knock it off, you're screwing it up for the rest of us!"

I hope you'll all check out two of my favorite anti-plastic sites by two great authors:

Life Less Plastic and Fake Plastic Fish

Minimalist's Backyard - Taming the Mess!

If you haven't tamed your backyard yet due to bad weather, floods, etc. I's not too late. Here are some tips to get you started.

1. Good Design:

First of all, a good design aimed at low maintenance will really help. Decks are great because they can cover a large area, are great for entertaining and most importantly, let the rain water absorb and the earth breathe. Avoid lawns. They are the highest maintenance item in a yard and waste water. If you have one rip it up and replace it with bark or gravel paths through beautiful perennials.

2. Trees:

The best trees are ones that don't drop leaves. Basically pine trees. We plant Leland Cedar on all of our properties due to their quick growth and low maintenance. They can turn a yard with no privacy to a very private one in about three years. The squirrels, birds and cats love them too! Routing the water from your downspouts to your trees really helps relieve the storm drains and here in Portland, we get a discount on our water bill for doing so.

3. Privacy:

Trees don't always solve every privacy problem. When they don't, you can use trellises with vines. I recommend either potato vines or honeysuckle. Star jasmine is also great but takes longer to grow. Clamatis usually dies out in the winter. There are some non deciduous ones but they grow more slowly.

4. Flowers:

To save money and time I grow perennials. That means if you don't have too bad a winter, they come back each year. If you put a cold frame or plastic to keep the frost off them, they'll have a better chance depending upon where you live. Buying a few showy hanging plants each spring really makes you look like a super gardner too!

5. Vegetables:

My vegetable garden is completely grown in containers. They're just ones that trees came in and misc ones I've picked up. I do this because I hate to weed.

6. Watering:

I have two drip systems with a timers. I created them myself. They cost around $150 to do the front and back yards. and I am sure I have saved much more than that on my water bill and in plants saved. It was fun to put together too. It's just a hose with off shoots of little hoses to each plant that I want to get water instead of watering an entire area which encourages weeds. I even have it routed up to my hanging plants!

7. Compost:

I have a compost bin that is open on the bottom so the worms can come up. I just put my kitchen scraps and yard debris in it so I don't have to take them out to the curb. Less work for me! To read more about composting you can read: Minimalist Composting: Why It's Worth It

8. Weeds:

You're gonna have them. I don't let them get me down. I just go out a couple of mornings a week for about ten minutes in my clogs and halter top with a shovel and get my frustrations out. Then I throw them into the compost bin and reward myself by picking some flowers, herbs and vegetables.

Happy gardening!

Minimalistic 4th of July

As I write this it is not yet 8:00 Am and I'm thinking there are lots of folks stressing about entertaining today. It's easy. It's all in the set up. Here are my tips:

1. Keep food simple. Grab some potato salad and fruit salad from the deli, put them in a bowl with some sprigs of mint, set the bowls atop  baking dishes filled with ice.

2. BBQ - not you! Some one whose job is to only do that. Do not allow this person in your kitchen. They may make a mess. Marinade what they'll be cooking ahead of time, then figure out in advance what they'll need, and put it on a tray ready to go.

3. Put all beverages into a bucket with ice with an opener near by. Open up some chips, dips,  and nuts and put them in  bowls spread around your entertaining area.

4. Use your regular plates and silverware. Have a large basket or plastic container for people to stow them in when they're done. Make sure you have a bag for garbage and one for recycling. Label all of these containers to let guests know where to put things.

5. Serve everything on a buffet table in the shade.

6. After dinner bring out individual ice cream bars for dessert. Usually, only the kids will want them anyway.

Speaking of kids:

1. Buy bubbles and water pistols. That should keep them busy. I won't address the fireworks issue, except to say avoid them if you can. An activity like Bocci ball is a fun game for kids and adults as well. When we lived in the country, I once had a neighbor bring her horse over and gave rides to the kids. That was really great!

2. Keep the kids outdoors and your dog indoors. Never trust other people's kids with your dog! Dogs hate fireworks anyway and can run off.

3. To make sure small kids don't wander off, lock your backyard gate up high and ask your guests to re-lock it if they go out. 

4. Try to pay a teenager to entertain your guests' kids.

If you set everything up this way, your only job at your party is to see that people are having a good time. Make sure people have a beverage, introduce people to each other, etc.

Have a safe and happy 4th!

Next Entry: Third installment of my interview with The Self Taught Artist.

The Story of an Artist Part Two

This is a continuation of my conversation with a woman , The Self Taught Artist who gave up most of her possessions to go where ever life took her and ended up being an artist.

The Minimalist:
What things were important enough to keep?

Self Taught Artist:

The things I took with me were: camping gear, some pencils and paper, two little bags of clothes, and some personal papers. I have a small car so the camping stuff filled it up. I have to laugh, I actually took a small space heater because I thought I would be spending winter in a cold place and wanted to not be using much heat. What was I thinking?

So now, four years later all I kept from that storage closet was: a small cone shaped 'touch' lamp, some nice clothes (which don't fit who I am anymore so I took them to the dump,) a back massager, my computer stuff, a few computer books, and that's about it.

I should also ad that getting rid of stuff and going on the road changed my life as much as becoming an artist did. You learn you need less. to this day I use the same one glass, one, bowl...when you camp and live on the road less is better.

When I spent that winter in MN and got an apartment I had nothing and it allowed me to focus on what was important. I’m guilty still of bringing too much with me when i go somewhere, but in comparison it’s nothing and I always get it and laugh that I brought more than I could use/want/need. The paring down of STUFF is something to always be mindful of, because it isn't about the stuff. If you let it, that stuff becomes your master, all too happy to cloud your vision.

The Minimalist:
When you camped across the country, were you by yourself? Was your boyfriend with you?

I left alone, I didn't have a boyfriend. I met Tod when I landed in Vermont.

The Minimalist:
Did you make some interesting friends along the way?

Self Taught Artist:
I have to say I met the nicest people on the road: fellow campers, travelers, women who were also artists, (I wasn't but wanted to be) and massage therapists. Some I met while camping, others while holed up in a motel to rest for a week, and some I got to know while living in Minnesota for a winter. I've kept in touch with a handful and they are the beginning point when I look back at my life. They are the people who know me now, who I am, and they seem to accept and embrace me.

Part three in my next entry.

How many cars do you have?

OK, how many cars do you have and what's in there? If you have any extra cars or an RV for that matter, that you don't drive that often, why? These are great things to either sell or donate and improve your financial picture. Even if they're just sitting in the driveway they're costing you space and perhaps, money to insure them.

Let's talk about that RV. They cost about 80 grand. Now, how many nights could a person spend in five star hotels for that amount of money (plus interest on the loan to buy it!) And I shutter to think about the cost of gas! They're not worthless though, because people can live in them. Does it ever make you sick to think about all those RVs sitting in people's driveways while millions of people are homeless in this country?

So, let's say you only have one car. What's in it? If it's full of junk, you're making your life harder. Did you know that the more stuff in your car, the worse gas millage you get? For example, my friend keeps six flats of bottled water in the back of his car so he can drink one every morning on his way to work because he knows he'll be dehydrated from the wine he drank the night before. Now, a flat of water weighs a bit so I asked him, " What if you just reused a water bottle every morning by filling it with our snow melted tap water? You'd save yourself the time, trouble, money, and garbage created by buying bottled water and probably get better gas mileage." What was his answer? "Shut up and drink your bottled water!" And if you've read my blog you know I hate bottled water!

Do you eat in your car? If you eat in your car you are breaking all of the dieting rules right off the bat, making yourself have to throw away fast food wrappers, and creating useless garbage. Hopefully, you don't support these establishments because they are ruining our farmlands, waterways, rain forests, and creating needless garbage. So let yourself have the pleasure of eating in a calm manner, not while driving.

Do you have a thousand CDs rattling around your car? I have another friend who crashed his car while changing a CD! An iPod hooked up to your car stereo is a great way to go or invest in a 5 CD changer so you can have variety. Driving to work is stressful enough without listing to the news or public radio. You'll just be angry by the time you get to work! Sit back, relax, play those songs that no one likes but you, and sing along!

Minimalist Travel: Vacation in Your Own Town

Here in Portland, Oregon the weather just isn't giving us a break. Grey Grey Grey! I got onto the internet and started trying to find out how far we'd have to travel to get out from under these clouds and endless drizzle and to my horror it seemed to go on forever! We could drive eight hours to Redding or fly somewhere. Then I checked out the price of flying and it was crazy! $500 to fly to LA? There had to be an alternative. So my sweetie and I spent the weekend playing around in our own town. We ate every meal out, heard live music, went to art museums, Saturday Market, shopped on NW 23rd, (the tourist section of town), took cabs, stayed out late and slept in late and did pretty much what we would have done in any city on vacation. No dishes, no work and you know what happened? On Sunday the sun actually came out! Today alas, it's gone again, but we had loads of fun anyway and didn't have to spend $1000 for two round trip tickets to the sun, and kept our carbon footprint small...."Oh you can pour my next glass of wine into this glass. It saves energy."

Minimalist's Angst: Not Clutter Again!

I don't know how or why it happens but clutter just seems to happen. Somehow yesterday I looked at my kitchen and thought, wow, we're slipping. The thing is I have zero tolerance for clutter. I have never understood how some people can sit happily with a neighbor sipping tea in their kitchens with piles of paperwork that needs to be dealt with, dirty dishes in the sink, random items that should be put away in other rooms and perhaps even a basket of laundry that needs folding. It makes me feel like Monica from Friends! I just want to start cleaning!

So to my horror, I looked at my own kitchen realized it had lost it's sparkle and needed to be decluttered. So what was wrong with it? All of my systems were in place and functioning, no appliances on the counters, no dirty dishes in the sink but some odd items were creeping in where they don't belong. First of all, my table has six chairs which seems like a great place to drop my purse, jackets, and dog leash. No, this is not where the go and I have an easy place to hang these things in the entryway closet but alas they were there. A pile of checks and misc. papers had accumulated on the table as well as some keys. Under the sink my recycling system had exploded, there were two cutting boards on my counter, a fruit bowl with one apple and two tomatoes in it, and a watering can that belongs outside. This may not sound like a lot, but in my tiny row house kitchen it is.

So I took action. First I got my iRobot vacuum going and took out all of the recycling to the garage. ( Green note: I recycle and compost 90% of my garbage so we only have garbage pick up once a month.) Next I put all of the items away that didn't belong there. Then it was time to pare down. I put the watering can on the back deck, put the random fruit in the fridge, washed out the fruit bowl and put it away, and put one of the cutting boards away. I decided to lose the table runner and put a new candle in the center of the table and wash the throw rug by the door. I had a huge bamboo bowl filled with pine cones that spilled over in what can only be described as "Northwest Chique" that seemed to be screaming winter, so they had to go. I bagged them up, put them into storage in the garage, washed the bowl and put it away. Next all of the surfaces were sprayed with bleach and water which then sat for one minute and then I wiped them all down. That kills most of the germs and bad bacteria in your kitchen. I of course washed the floor then picked some flowers in the back yard and put them where the pine cones had been. This may not seem like a lot but the room now feels bigger and more comfortable and inviting.

I hope this post will inspire you to hit your own kitchen and if you want to check out how my kitchen systems work, read some of my past posts on reducing kitchen appliances, reducing the amount of junk mail you get, and composting.

Minimalist’s Composting: Why it’s worth it.

You may have heard that composting is a good thing because food waste that rots in our landfills and creates methane gas that adds to the greenhouse effect, but that’s a lot to take in even for a minimalist. I mean, I’m not a scientist. But, here are some other reasons why I started composting my food waste.

First of all, I cook a fair amount so I create a lot of vegetable scraps. What do I do with them? I can either put them into my garbage disposal and risk clogging it up, (what a pain!), or I can throw them into my kitchen trash bin where they will make everything else in there wet. This means I will eventually have to wash out the bin (work) or I can walk a few steps to my deck and put them into my scrap collector. It’s actually nothing more than a plastic pickle container with a top that I got for free from a pub in our neighborhood. It’s a five gallon bucket like the kind one would paint out of, so it takes a few weeks to fill it up.

Sound easy so far right? What about when it is full?

Well, we have some big wooden containers left over from when we planted some pine trees in our yard in the fall so I dump the scraps in there. Then I mix them with the leaves I raked up in the fall and whatever potting soil I have around. We have had a really cold, wet spring this year here in Portland, but it is slowly breaking down into compost.

Some people say they have trouble with wild critters getting into this stuff and I’m sure I have had a few masked bandits, (city raccoons) , help themselves. But Ox the Boxer makes her presence pretty well known in the backyard which keeps a handle on it.

Banning Plastic Bags - Let's Get Started!

I am starting to do some research about how to think globally and act locally in regard to banning plastic bags. I have emailed our local Office of City Commissioner Sam Adams.

I have also done some more research and have found that there is a global movement to ban plastic bags. It's not just a "Portland Hippy Thing." So please join me and contact your local city officials. These movements seem to start there. iKea has all but stopped using them. They started charging a nominal fee for the bags and reduced plastic bag use by 90%. Details are here:

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/3701

This is significant as iKea is a global retailer. Hats off to them! I will continue to inform my readers about what we can do to force this change in our own cities. Until then, you can at least reduce your consumption by using cloth bags to shop, reuse bags for produce, and use biodegradable dog and cat waste bags, available at Urban Lease and Treat.

Minimalistic Lifestyle: Influencing Others

The main reason I wanted to write this blog was to have some influence over others behavior. That is to say, I want people to reduce what they buy by buying quality items that last, recycle as much as they can, reuse what they can and just start thinking about a sustainable lifestyle.

If you think you can't influence others to help our planet, here's a great example:
Seeing as it is spring break, my neighbor Kembol, who teaches eighth grade math and I took our babies, (dogs) for a long walk along the beautiful Willamette River. As usual we talked about our life concerns, our husbands, children and yes, politics. As we talked about the different candidates and how they would each handle the economic problems our country faces, it led us to a larger concern that we both have, our planet. I remarked that packaging is one of the biggest contributors to our landfills and why can't the companies that sell things help to fix that problem.

Then, Kembol tells me about her math lesson plan for last week. First she says she gave her eighth graders three types of snack cakes, Ho Hos, Ding Dongs, and Little Debbies.

The kids had to calculate the surface area and then they could eat them. Okay, great, we've done that type of stuff before. The difference in this lesson was what she challenged them with next! She asked them to find a way for each prospective company to save on packaging and to calculate the difference. Apparently, each group was able to come up with different designs that would save packaging. One student even came up with a triangular package. I ask you, if eighth grade math students can redesign a product to save packaging, why can't the companies who sell it do it? Or why won't they?

My friend then told me she wasn't sure if she influenced the kids at all as they didn't seem very impressed. I had to remind her that eighth graders are seldom impressed and if they are they don't let their teachers know, ( yes, I taught eighth grade once.) I am sure she influenced her math students and why don't we have more great teachers like her? At any rate, she surely earned her spring break!