I'm about two weeks into being a Bismarck resident, and I've spent about one week in my new apartment. It's almost 400 square feet larger than the lovely shoebox I previously lived in. Seriously, I need to go on about 30 shopping sprees to fill this place up. Though moving can be daunting, there is something wonderful about moving into a "blank space" (like my Taylor Swift reference?), and starting new.

That being said, I think one of the toughest things about unpacking, is figuring out how to put everything away. I'm not the greatest at organizing anything.  I mean, I can barely figure out how to piece a room together, let alone organize cupboards and closets. Thank goodness for internet help. Here are some good pointers I've found:

  1. TAKE EVERYTHING OUT OF THE SPACE - This is meant to give you a visual on what you have and assess what your storage needs are. Since I just moved and everything is in boxes - done and done.
  2. TOSS IT - The "inner hoarder" in some of us will have a hard time with this one. Basically, if it's old, worn out, broken, or just unused, get rid of it. I thought I got rid of a lot when I packed, but I could still stand to part with more items.
  3. COMBINE "LIKE" ITEMS - After purging unneeded things, separate "like" items into groups. Then, use bins (buy new or get creative with what you have) to store those items.
  4. LABEL - By labeling containers, it is easier to find what you need when you go looking for your newly-organized items.
  5. REFILL THE EMPTY SPACE - Put the items and bins away. Make sure the items used most, have the easiest accessibility. Then, fill in empty spaces with other items that aren't used as much.
  6. TRAIN YOURSELF TO PUT ITEMS BACK IN THEIR PLACES - This one will be the toughest for me. I'm terrible about putting things back where they belong. But, hey, it's almost a new year, so it's time to make changes for the better.

Now, who wants to help me organize my kitchen?

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