Get Organized for a Backyard Barbecue!

Sunny and warm days are ahead, which means optimal weather for a backyard barbecue with your household. To make sure you aren’t caught unawares the next sunny day that comes, take the time now to set up your outdoor entertaining and most importantly, your barbecue!

Uncover Patio Furniture

Pull out your patio from its winter storage area – whether it is in your garage, shed, or still outside under patio covers. Determine where you will place your furniture and consider the location carefully. For example, where do you get the most sun exposure, and at what time of day? How close is the furniture and entertaining space to the house? When hosting barbecues, it is more convenient to be near the house to easily move food and drinks in and out. Once you’ve decided on your location, place the furniture to create the perfect eating and relaxing area.

Clean, Clean, Clean

No matter how carefully items are stored, there will likely still be some dust and grime to clean off your outdoor furniture and décor. Take some time to spray and wipe everything down so you can eat and visit on clean and fresh smelling furniture. If you have cushions stored separately, make sure they’re given a quick airing and pat down to remove any dust that has accumulated.

Of course, it’s important to make sure the star of the show is also thoroughly cleaned and ready for the main event. Before you fire up the grill for the first time, make sure it has had a good clean and scrub. You can check out this guide from Popular Mechanics on how you can properly clean your barbecue before use.

Inspect Your Items

Check to make sure all your furniture and décor are in working order. Any cushions that need replacing or lights that are burnt out? Need more charcoal or smoke chips, or a replacement brush for the barbecue? Take inventory of what items you may have around the house and in outdoor storage to see what else might need restocking before the barbecue and outdoor season begins in earnest.

Enjoy for the Season

Once you’ve finished inspecting and replaced any materials that were damaged or used up last season, you can look forward to enjoying your outdoor space for the rest of the season! To keep your outdoor space organized and in working order for the rest of the spring and summer season, implement some practical and easy-to-find storage placements for items you won’t need outside all the time. For example, outdoor cushions and décor might only be needed when the space is in use, so if you have furniture with built-in storage, plan for where to keep items in the interim. You can also designate a space in your backyard shed, garage, or spare storage space in your home that is easy to access whenever you’re ready to go outside. If you have separate outdoor dining accessories, consider keeping them in a kitchen cupboard or drawer so they are all together and in easy reach of the backyard or patio.

Finally, don’t forget to keep your eye on the weather forecast for the next perfect barbecue day!

Phase 3: Finding the right organizing products

Moving is a multiple-step process that requires a lot of work and planning. On the blog, we’ve been going through each step in the moving journey of one of our clients. The move was prepared in their current home, a walk-through was conducted of the new space, and their belongings were unpacked and carefully sorted. Now, it is time to plan how their belongings will fit into the new space with the right organizing products.

It isn’t as simple as going to the nearest department store and buying some bins – there are a lot of products available that are created to assist people in maintaining an organized space. In a way, there are almost too many different products, to the point that people can run into the problem of accumulating too many baskets or specialty organizers for their items that they don’t really need.  

Before we even started shopping, we carefully examined the client’s new space to see what kind of products would work and where, keeping in mind the actual items and belongings we had to work with. For example, the master bedroom had a large walk in closet that was empty except for a rod for hangers. However, the client had a wide variety of clothing and accessories that wouldn’t work with hangers. This necessitated the purchase of a closet organizer that provided hanging room for dress clothes and coats, as well as shelves and racks for shirts, pants, shoes, ties and bags. 

The new kitchen had large cupboards and drawers, some with deep angles that made the spaces difficult to store items. Although the space was large enough for pots, pans, and mixing bowls, they were almost impossible to reach and would require the clients to take out items to reach other items. The drawers had plenty of space for a large number of utensils, but they would easily become cluttered and lost if they were left loose in the drawer. For the cupboards, the team was able to find innovative cupboard organizers with moveable shelves, so the clients could pull them out to reach the items they needed without emptying the cupboard. As for the utensils, an organizer that fit the dimensions of the drawer were added to keep the cutlery and utensils in their place. The organizer had a mix of large and small spaces so a variety of different-sized utensils could be placed in the drawer, making the space adaptable and customizable.    

In the client’s new home, we were able to find organizing products that worked with their items and would actually provide a benefit to their home. Instead of buying unnecessary products that would only add to their clutter, the Calm Order team focused only on adding pieces that would contribute to the organization of the new space. In some cases, it may not be beneficial to add in an organizer – the space and function of your home or room may not require any specialty products. You might also already own an organizer or a cabinet that can be used to store items that you may not have thought of previously using.

When it comes to finding the right products, remember that while there are a lot of different organizing products on the market, finding the right product – if you need them – requires you to consider the space you are working with, the items you own, and how you use them.

Keep an eye on the blog for our next post, where we will take a look at some of our favourite organizing products and storage solutions!

Five ways to organize your summer meals

Summer is a busy season for everyone – between summer camps, trips, and day-long activities, there is usually little time to prepare and cook a meal. However, with these tips, you can ensure that you will have a meal ready to eat without the stress or cost of ordering out:

Pre-purchase ready to eat protein options

When the weather is hot, the last thing people want to do is heat up their homes by turning on the oven. Instead, stock up on pre-cooked protein options, like rotisserie chicken or shredded pork from your local grocery store. Canned tuna and hard-boiled eggs can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for recipes like these. You could also pre-cook your meat early in the morning or at the beginning of the week, so you can avoid using the oven during the heat of the day.

Take advantage of the fresh vegetables

Summer is prime time for fresh vegetables, so why not take advantage of them? Stock up on your family’s favourites and incorporate them into easy meals, like stir-fry, salad and sandwiches. Vegetables can be washed and cut up at the beginning of the week or earlier in the day, so you don’t have to worry about doing all of your preparations right before the meal. To save time and avoid your oven, you can also use your vegetables raw instead of cooking them. Most vegetables taste even better when they are fresh during the summer, so incorporate them into your meals like this recipe for Shaved Squash Salad with Tomatoes and Ricotta.

Utilize your kitchen appliances

Instead of always using your oven, utilize your other kitchen appliances to plan your meals in advance, like a slow cooker. Your meat, vegetables and grains can all be prepared the night before and turned on in the morning so they are ready for you to eat in the evening. You can even use a rice cooker to cook up rice at the beginning of the week, so you have a side dish ready to go for multiple meals. Get creative and use your other kitchen appliances to put together stress-free and tasty meals like these over the summer.

Use your leftovers!

Don’t feel bad about having a “leftovers” meal night when you are out at the lake or park all day! Save any leftovers from your meals throughout the week, and plan on having one meal made up of all your leftovers. If you don’t quite have enough food, supplement your meal with a quick side salad or fresh fruit.

Stay simple

Most importantly, don’t feel the need to plan large, complicated meals. They take a lot of time, ingredients, and energy that could be better spent on outdoor activities or gatherings with friends and family. When the weather is hot, many people don’t feel like eating multiple courses or rich dishes, so it’s okay to stick to simple meals with simple ingredients. During the summer months, there are plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to purchase at the store or grow in your own garden that are full of flavour. It’s easy to organize meals for the week because they are so readily available and quick to prepare.

This summer, don’t stress about making meals when you’re busy soaking up the sun, or break the bank because you’re always ordering out. Cook simple meals with ingredients that are ready to go and don’t require using your oven, so you can avoid heating up your home. By following these tips to organize your meals, you can relax and enjoy your summer without the stress at mealtime!