Cork Boards Inside Cupboard Doors

For several years my refrigerator has been a catch all for magnets, pictures, lists, business cards, coupons, schedules and jewelry (jewelry?). But this past week, that all changed. While browsing around on Pinterest, I came across the most clever idea of using cork boards inside the cupboard doors for keeping track of the stuff that normally ends up on my fridge.

So, I purchased a pack while out shopping one day, and, voila ~ what a super nice change! (Of course, I also decluttered and took care of some stuff that really just needed to be put away!)

It was such a drastic change, in fact, that when Becca came home and saw our refrigerator, (I mean really saw it so that she could actually tell you what color it was), she exclaimed in surprise and just stood there starring at it! Lol.... It truly was a funny moment!

Here are some pictures of how the project unfolded:

 

The cluttered front

The cluttered side

A 4 pack of boards that was pretty reasonably priced

The adhesive squares (provided) put onto the back

The board secured onto the inside of my cupboard door

Items from fridge transferred onto the board

And more items, plus added pictures of our adorable granddaughters :)

The baking cupboard door has some of our most used recipes

Ah.....oh my goodness.....a very uncluttered fridge front

And a not too shabby side, considering how it first was!

 In all honesty, the much less cluttered refrigerator has actually improved the look and feel of our entire cozy kitchen!

Refrigerator Cleaning Duty

I honestly dislike leftovers. They rarely get eaten as intended, and they clutter up the fridge. Especially when several people are rifling through them every day and I hear something similar to, "What do we have in here that's good to eat?" I end up with a refrigerator that looks like this:

UGH!!

 I've gotten to the point of putting leftovers into ziplock baggies (except things with liquid, of course!) so that if they start hanging around too long, I can throw out the whole kit and kaboodle. Mostly I try to be very conscientious of just how much I make of something to avoid leftovers, but sometimes dealing with them just can't be helped. I figure if they're at least in baggies, I don't have to deal with washing out plastic containers, which is one of the other things that I really dislike! (After all, what's the point of wasting water to wash out the containers from food that was saved, but didn't get eaten, and that got wasted, too??!) So I go back to my original thought - MAKING ONLY WHAT I THINK MY FAMILY WILL EAT! ☺

Here's my clean, now practically empty fridge:

Ahhhh.....much better!

Now it's time for me to do some sensible shopping!

~ ♥ ~

What's your trick in dealing with leftovers?

Not Your Average Egg Container

source

Isn't this a great idea for holding your eggs in the refrigerator?

My Calendar and I

For nearly 20 years I've kept a calendar on my refrigerator.

I've always had good luck finding a simple planner with empty date boxes just like these at the local Dollar or Family Dollar type stores. Without one, I'd most definitely be lost! 

As my children entered the picture, I began to get creative with highlighters, and chose a color for each one of us. Whenever anyone has an appointment or event, it gets written in the date box along with their name. Then I highlight it in the person's corresponding color. Now I can easily see at a glance who might have something coming up. This makes it so much easier for everyone else, too!

I chose a different color highlighter altogether for family and friends' birthdays, anniversaries, get-togethers and such. Having everything written down in one place is a life saver for me. Especially now that I'm getting older! My family knows the rule: "If it isn't on the calendar I won't remember it (and probably neither will you.) If it's important, please write it down!"

Works like a charm everytime. ☺