Chances are you feel much more comfortable cleaning out and organizing your spice drawer than your closet. It’s smaller, and seems less daunting – kind of like a toddler ;). I would argue, however, if you know how to do one, you also know how to do the other, as many of the principle organizing components are similar.
Humans are creatures of habit. From your husband never putting the toilet seat down, to your kids biting their nails, habits are engrained within our every move. Think about it – when you’re making a dish, are there a couple of spices that you almost always use? When you are in a rush getting ready to run the errands your husband forgot to do, is there a sweatshirt or pair of jeans you always throw on? Of course there are! Just as we have those same couple of spices that we turn to for almost every dish, we also have those clothes and accessories that are our go to no matter the occasion. Making sure these frequently used spices are at the forefront of the spice drawer or cabinet is just as important as making sure those go-to clothing items are in an easily accessible space in the closet. On the flip side, however, there are the spices that we only use for special dishes and the clothes we only wear for special occasions. These should be placed in the back of the closet or spice drawer since they will not need to be accessed often. Work with your habits and tendencies to make your life that much easier!
While some people strongly believe that spices do not expire or go bad, they do lose their potency and freshness after a while. Keeping these spices new and fresh will make your meals taste that much better (see the link below to my favorite spice shop in Raleigh). In comparison, clothing obviously does not expire, but it does get old, acquire holes and stains, and go out of style. Yes, I said clothes go out of style. I hate to break it to you, but tie dye is no longer in. It is important to keep both spices and closet items up to date. Purge yourself, your drawers, and your closets of expired spices and of clothing that just isn’t your taste anymore.
Organizing is not rocket science. Once you know how to conquer one type of organizing job, it makes tackling another exponentially easier. This is largely due to the fact that organizing revolves around a few key principles. Clean, minimize, and categorize. If you keep these three things in mind, any organizing job will seem less like hurricane force winds and more like a breeze.
If you live in Raleigh, NC, check out my favorite spice store http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/north-carolina/raleigh-lafayette-village.html
