Q&A | Fridge organization, jeans, pasta, and Oreos
I put out a call for Q&A submissions on Facebook yesterday, and I got inspired to promptly put some into a post!
How can I organize and manage the inside of my refrigerator?
-Susan
Oh, Susan. I feel you here. Fridge organization is one of the hardest things for me to conquer and I am still a work in progress here.
I go into a lot more detail with this in my Fight Your Food Waste course, but here are two main ideas for you.
1. Use clear containers
This is absolutely, positively, non-negotiable. You will not eat what you do not see.
Use Pyrex, Mason jars, plastic bags, clear plastic containers...just make sure that you can easily see what's inside the container.
(More about the silicone Pyrex replacement lids here.)
2. Do a super quick fridge sweep every other day
A fridge sweep is just a five-minute inventory/organization habit where you look for bad food (chuck it!), move soon-to-go bad food to the front, and just jog your memory about what you have.
Fridges get out of control when we don't go through them regularly; going through them super frequently keeps them from getting into terrible shape.
And if you do fridge sweeps regularly, you are more likely to shop more carefully and avoid duplicate purchases. Knowing what's in your fridge is half the battle.
Susan, since you'd like to learn more about this topic, I can give you a complimentary subscription to my four-week food waste course. Email me!
And anyone else who's reading this and wants to learn more, send me an email to let me know, and I'll send you a code for 50% off my course.
Why are women's jeans so expensive? And what is the best deal on women's jeans?
-Peggy
Oh man, I hear you! I read on a mom fashion blog the other day that they were reviewing affordable jeans, and by "affordable", they meant, "under $100/pair".
(!!!!)
Stitch Fix
I have a couple of pairs of expensive jeans from Stitch Fix (under $100, so I guess they are affordable??), and I will say that they do have a more comfortable stretchy material than cheaper jeans.
At the same time, though, even my expensive Stitch Fix jeans do eventually lose their fresh stretch and they get that sort of bunchy look.
Old Navy
As far as the best deal goes, I've gotten some jeans very affordably at Old Navy. They have oodles of styles and sizes available, and several of my Old Navy pairs have lasted for a long time.
To get the best deals at Old Navy, I:
- wait for a sale email
- use my Old Navy/Gap Visa credit card*
- go through TopCashback for a little extra credit
- choose the free economy shipping
*About the credit card: I don't keep a lot of store-specific credit cards, but the Old Navy/Gap one often sends me offers to get an Old Navy bonus (for instance, "spend $500 outside of our brands, and get a $30 Old Navy credit"). So, I hang onto that card and just use it when there's a good offer.
eBay or Goodwill
If you are willing to go the second-hand route, you could try a thrift store like Goodwill to see if you can find a pair that works for you.
And if you know exactly what brand and size fit you well, eBay is a great place to find jeans.
Just search for your brand, style, and size, and odds are pretty good that someone will have them listed for sale.
Bonus jeans tip: mend whenever possible
Extending the life of your current jeans = less jeans shopping overall!
I recently sewed up the waist of a pair of my jeans.
And here's how to replace a metal riveted jeans button.
What's your favorite pasta noodle shape?
-Jessica
You know, I don't really care what shape my pasta is so much as I care about the sauce that's on the pasta.
My very favorite sauce is a pink sauce, a cross between Alfredo and tomato sauce.
I also really like a tomato-based sauce if it has spicy sausage in it.
But generally speaking, creamy sauces have my heart.
Have you ever tried charcoal toothpaste? And what is your favorite Oreo flavor?
-Reese
(we met Reese in a recent Meet a Reader post!)
Yep, I did try a tube of charcoal toothpaste because it came in one of my Mighty Fix shipments.
It was fun to photograph:
And while it's sort of entertaining to use because it turns your mouth black, I wouldn't say I noticed a huge difference in how my teeth looked after using it.
I'm gonna have to go with mint Oreos, and I think I actually like the thin ones better than the double-stuf variety.My girls all think that the double-stuf is where it's at, but I feel like the cookie/filling ratio is just off with those.
So I will always choose the regular or the thin varieties.
Oh, wait!
I just remembered that in December, peppermint Oreos are available at Trader Joe's and at Aldi. THOSE are my ultimate favorite and I can eat way, way, way too many of those in a sitting.
Got a question?
Leave me a comment here or send me an email, and I'll add your question to a future post.
Got an answer?
If you have input for some of these reader questions, do share in a comment!
And hey, you can tell me your favorite Oreo flavor too.
How fun! I’ve missed your Monday q&as. I didn’t realize it until I read this one. You give such interesting and fun answers!
The thin mint Oreos and aldi’s fake coconut Girl Scout cookies are the only store bought cookies I will eat. The thin mints are The perfect ratio. But my kids also like the double stuffed.
I agree about the double stuf Oreos. Definitely the wrong ratio. Those and the originals are the only ones I've ever had, and I have to say that while most junk foods from my childhood hold no appeal for me now, Oreos still do. Which is why I don't buy them.
When I was out of town a couple of weeks ago, my eldest son made brownies using my hastily written and not very detailed recipe that doesn't specify pan size. Because I know it's supposed to be an 8x8 pan. He used a 13x9 pan, which resulted in very thin, crispy "brownies" that were just like the cookie part of an Oreo. I spread those with peanut butter as an experiment, and WOAH. That's dangerously good. I haven't looked, but I'm sure there are peanut butter Oreos, and I'm also sure I should never buy those, either. 🙂
Me, too. Usually the only time we buy them is for impromptu picnics. I try not to buy things that are too tempting.
Yes, there's peanut butter Oreo. I Looooooove anything peanut butter flavored, but those cookies were quite bland.
This is exactly why I don't keep thin mint style cookies here. I WILL eat them all.
I agree about the regular (not double stuff) Oreos. But flavor? I like the plain ones.
And the charcoal toothpaste? With my kids, it just looked way too messy in the sink.
I'm the opposite. I like double stuffed Oreos, and will pull them apart to quadruple stuff them!
Re fridge organization, for me a key is to put things in the same place every time. I know leftover "ingredients" are up and right, for example. Main dish leftovers are somewhere else, etc. That way I can look very quickly to check what needs using up. Also, if I buy a second of something, like sour cream, before using up the first it goes directly behind/under the one that needs to get used up.
I love these spatial organization ideas!
Double stuf all the way — though I do have to say that some years ago, sometime in the time right after I got out of college so I suppose around Y2K, there was a recipe change, and I no longer love Oreos with the deep and abiding passion of that era.
My only suggestion for jeans is that if you have pretty basic/enduring/timeless taste, and you find something that fits well, buy more than one pair. And if you do that, try all pairs on right away lest you get stuck with something that's not quite right after the return window is closed. (Yes, I know this from rueful experience.)
I haven’t eaten Oreos in decades. This will be gross to most people...but it’s a fun memory for me. I used to split them with my dad. I liked the middles and he liked the cookies! He was later diagnosed with a chocolate allergy (and doesn’t know which specific ingredient or combo), so that was the end of our Oreo adventures.
Re: Jeans, Goodwill all the way, baby! Go armed with a tape measure and your measurements--inseam, waist, and thigh circumference--as most Goodwills nixed their fitting rooms to counteract theft. Check your true measurements against those of the garments, then try your finds on ASAP when you get home, *before* removing the tags. (Our Goodwill allows returns/exchanges for clothing to make up for the lack of fitting rooms.) There isn't a pair of jeans I own that cost more than $6, and ever since I employed the tape measure trick, my pants have never fit better. (All my hiking means I'm a one fit pear ;P which means hunting down jeans with a small waist and rear/thigh room.)
Be careful about checking the pants' stress points--back pocket corners, crotch, inner thigh--to make sure they're still in good shape. I do the quality/stress test even looking through clearance in a first-run store, like Old Navy. Sometimes, things are on clearance for a reason! 😛
Keeping my refrigerator organized has always been a challenge. My kids and husband NEVER seemed to put thing back in the same place that they were taken from. A refrigerator sweep is a great idea if it can be done on a regular basis.
Importantly, Nabisco released gluten-free Oreos. They are very good. A friend bought me a package as a gift. I ate too many! I hadn’t had anything like that in 10 years.
Happy Monday, y’all!
GF Oreos are good, they taste like the real thing! Hubby and daughter are both GF, so I tested both Gf Oreo and regular Oreo one after the other and I could not tell the difference.
Yes, when Sonia was on the low FODMAP diet, we got the gluten-free Oreos and we thought they were quite good.
I agree that Old Navy jeans are good but Gap jeans are a big improvement in terms of quality and if you wait for a coupon or a sale, the price is often the same or very close.
Oreos! I like the original or the golden best. Original and double-stuff Original are nut-free, which is great to know...they are an easy and common product if you need a treat for a nut-free situation.
Spaghetti! I like my pasta like I like my men: long, thin, and made of durum wheat!
Seriously my son and I have secret wars about which pasta to buy. He likes his thick, I like mine thin. Traditionalists swear that some kinds of sauces are better suited to different shapes of pasta, too.
We also have toilet paper wars. I like plain old Scott and loathe the soft kinds. He loves Charmin. Heh, I'll miss him when he moves out after graduation soon.
My husband wants nothing but angel hair pasta. I like ruffled, chunky pasta shapes. He gets his way when I cook for both of us, but I use what I like when I make my work lunches.
I have an eye-level shelf in my fridge where I keep the « must use immediately » items: half an onion, an opened avocado, etc.
I went 99% gluten free many years ago and have not missed Oreos. I bought the GF Oreos for my husband and he loves them but they were meh to me. I do remember the Trader Joe's Peppermint Joe Joe's (I bought the Aldi version) as being divine.
I have so much trouble buying jeans. I have a pear shaped body in a world where that is uncommon. I have a pair of NYDJ (Not Your Daughter's Jeans) jeans that fit me well. They are not cheap but considering how long I wear clothes they were worth the price. I was just thinking the other day that it might be time for me to find non-jean pants for everyday wear.
Re: Jeans, I shop at consignment stores that resell higher end jeans, and even then try to wait until they are half off. I don't mind paying $20-30 for second-hand, when they cost $150-200 in the store. Of course I try to make sure I pay for quality and not just a style that goes out of fashion the next year.
Re: Pasta noodles, I love linguini and my husband loves orecchiette (the little ear shaped ones). The size and shape of pasta noodles depends on what type of sauce we use. For heavier, creamier sauce you need a sturdier noodle with nooks and crannies that can "carry" the sauce and be coated with it. For a lighter olive oil/herb coating, a spaghetti noodle is perfect. And for baked pasta, you need something really sturdy like ziti or penne pasta. You wouldn't think it, but the quality of pasta makes a huge difference also. We spend a little extra for De Cecco and buy them whenever on sale.
Re: Pyrex lids, thanks for the reminder on the silicone lids! I wish they came for the rectangular Pyrexes as well.
Amazon has rectangular pyrex lids!
Nice, I have to check! I've ordered replacement lids on Amazon for my rectangular Pyrex, but could not find them in silicone lids last time I looked.
Fun post! ( jean shopping is the bane of my existence).
I do find the whole idea of paying $100+ for mass produced, spandex filled jeans absolutely ludicrous when one can order some fantastic Japanese raw denim for not all that much more.
My wife tends to get hers at Old Navy too. She does mend them (or I mend them for her) so they end up lasting a long enough time. I can definitely tell a difference between the makeup of her jeans and mine. Mine are heavier weight, 100% cotton whilst hers tend to be thinner and usually have some sort of stretch. I guess that's the high cost of fashion; I'm afraid.
That, and men don't have to fight the battle of the bulge! 😉
...and the variation of weight and bloatness that comes with pre/post periods 😉
Spandex is fantastic, lol
I really like the Hello charcoal toothpaste. After using my teeth feel like I just had them cleaned at the dentist. I received a sample and have already purchased a full size tube.
I like spicy sausage in my red sauce pasta too. Unfortunately for me the rest of the family prefers ground beef.
I hear you on the jeans, I try to get them for under $30.
RE: Fridge organization
Label EVERY container you put in with contents; date cooked; last date to eat safely.
We simply cut up little strips from our collection of odd bits and pieces of paper and stick with a bit of tape. It will save you enormous time and waste, particularly if you are not the only one putting items into the fridge.
We also try to store in the fridge by category: Vegetables with other veggies (talking cooked here; uncooked are in the bins on bottom); meat to be cooked; leftovers; fruits, etc. It quickly gives you a visual overview of various cooked and leftover items so you can plan to eat them before they go bad.
We also assign one shelf for items that must be eaten in a day or two.
Everything has a use-by date on it and we place some items (dips, sauces, cheese pkgs, etc ) in place earliest expiration dates first and in descending order behind. It's so easy to just forget when things are expiring.
Only two people access my fridge and they do abide by the "rules" of how we store. We've saved a lot of food this way. Plus, we've cut down on some shopping because we can quickly see what is really needed due to low stock. Many times there is simply no need for an item. Conversely, we can quickly see what is missing and add it to the shopping list.
(We do this in our pantry as well. By hand. Although I do wish there was an app that let you easily enter items (using the stock numbers) and expiration dates. Sort of an Excel for food items by category. We do monthly pantry checks by category to pick any items expiring in say three weeks or less. Those go on a separate shelf that we then check when meal planning.
FYI: Living in a big-city apartment, with little room, we converted our foyer/hallway into the pantry. We have 5 sets of wire shelving (an investment as we had to get uncommon sizes) that hold items for easy access. We've saved more in food that wasn't thrown out over the years we've had and paid back the investment several times over. Plus, it's great to see what you have and then have fun coming up with recipes.
Fun post!
Jeans: Hardest piece of clothing to buy. Trying on jeans makes me feel bad about my body. Last pair I bought was at a thrift store for $4. They fit like a glove. I just checked the tag - Gloria Vanderbilt.
Pasta: The De Cecco brand is superior no matter the shape. Recently purchased multiple boxes at a discount food store. Gotta get while the gettin's good.
Charcoal toothpaste: Never again... unless I remodel to an all-black bathroom (sink, walls, everything). I try to avoid products that create extra work in the cleaning/maintenance department.
Oreos: Haven't had any in decades so I didn't even know they came in different flavors. Fond memories from childhood though when I would pull them apart, gnaw off the filling with my teeth and then eat the wafers last.
Oh, and fridge organization: We use clear containers, too, and have designated spots for everything so it's easy to see what we have (or are running low on) and to find what we need. We live by "a place for everything and everything in its place."
I used to wear Gloria Vanderbilt jeans before I had to wear business casual and went with Lee slacks. GV had a great fit for shorty-roundy me and the colors were always such fun in her Amanda line of jean.
Ruby: I just re-checked the inside of my jeans and noticed the Amanda tag for the first time. Apparently I am as well-versed on clothing lines as I am on Oreo flavors. 😉 And these jeans have some elastic in the fabric so they're more comfy.
The Amandas are awesome and pretty easy to find secondhand because they are so popular.
All I buy is the tall Amanda jeans. I love them and they fit me like a glove.
Mentioned this to my sister who is built like me and now that is all she buys. I would be so sad if they discontinued them. Also sometimes Costco has them but I have to order online since I need tall.
Agree -- love my mark-down Gloria Vanderbilts from Ross Dress for Less. Soft, stretchy, forgiving!
Amanda, too -- also marked down
A former colleague was having an event where she needed college students to come see the new office space. She scheduled an "Oreo Tasting" for that day, meaning she bought as many kinds of Oreos as she could find, (perhaps eight or more-- I know it included lemon, mint, and some fall flavor), and had them out on plates for people to sample. Maybe it even included a voting for favorite and drawing for a prize.
My dentist warns his patients off the charcoal toothpastes. Says he's seen damage to teeth from it.
That is great to know about the Pyrex replacement lids. I have some Pyrex bowls not in use because of no lids.
One of the few items I kept from my adventures in Stitch Fix was a pair of Kut from the Kloth jeans that cost $89. They are my winter jeans, for when it's really cold, because they're really heavy. They fit perfectly and as long as I remain this size, may last the rest of my life because they're made extremely well and aren't trendy.
Otherwise, I wear Lee slacks all the way. Lee makes the same slacks I wear to the office every day in an indigo rinse so I can get the jeans vibe while still looking neat and tidy. The indigo rinse version does have some spandex in it and it will wear out faster than the other colors, alas.
Leftover control at my house is usually pretty easy since I cook only on Saturday or Sunday, so the expiration date on the leftovers is Wednesday or Thursday, and my husband will have obligingly eaten them for lunch by them. I try to keep the leftovers on designated shelf, and always in a clear dish or a dish with a clear lid.
I LOVE Lee jeans - consistent fit, wear forever and under $50. I order through Amazon.
My two favorite Oreos - Dark Chocolate fudge and chocolate peppermint (not available this past holiday season.
You can also get replacement lids on Amazon 🙂
Fridge organization:
- My method is frequent fridge sweeps, once a week or more. Also a good time to wipe down the shelves.
- I store foods in rectangular TellFresh containers (space-efficient) with permanent, reusable labels (dishwasher safe, lasts for a decade or more). Both from the Container Store, natch.
- I also label take-out containers, both to remember what's in them and to reduce the time I stand in front of an open fridge, opening boxes because I can't tell what's in them.
Oreos
My fave is the chocolate dipped mint oreos. If those aren't available, then plain or mint. I like double-thick stuffing but the commercial double stuffs aren't the same as smooshing together two regular. Double stuff filling is a different consistency than regular, I guess so the cookies maintain their integrity. (Why yes, I have the ability to overthink anything., why do you ask?)
I usually put things in the same place in my refrigerator. I have to watch, though, because my husband doesn't follow my plan. I will find the ketchup on an interior shelf instead of on the door, for instance. I mean, who does that? 🙂
I use clear or translucent containers except for the breakfast foods I make ahead of time for the week. Since I put one week's worth of the breakfast foods in the exact same place and use the exact same set of containers (stainless steel and Corning casseroles) each time, I don't need to see in them. But for everything else, it's clear glass, translucent silicone containers or rarely, clear plastic bags. I try to put the older stuff to the front, as well.
I buy most of my jeans now at Goodwill or consignment, or they are given to me second hand. I really detest that women's new jeans are so expensive, and so hard to size. I had someone ask me not long ago what size jeans I wear, to see if I could wear a pair she was getting rid of. I checked, and I have three different sizes in my jeans collection, all of which I wear, so what size is a good question. Jeans are usually too long for me (I'm 5'2") and the petites are usually too short for me, even though I don't have a short torso. And women's jeans shrink up in the dryer. I always line dry mine. Meanwhile, I can get my husband's jeans new, on sale for $35, sized exactly for waist and inseam, well-made and they don't shrink in the dryer.
I love pasta of any shape or size, but since I'm gluten-free now, I usually eat spaghetti noodles, since that is easiest to find in gluten-free. Likewise, Oreos, except for the new gluten-free ones, are a thing of the past. I never bought them much, because I knew I would eat them up if they were in the house. I think mint has to be the best flavor to me - I had one of those at a church function and had a real fight with myself not to steal all of them off of the plate.
I have a free tube of charcoal toothpaste that I still have not had the nerve to try. The idea of black spatters everywhere puts me off. I also brush my teeth just before I go to work -- I can just picture me showing up with black on my shirt or still in my teeth, somehow.
Everyone knows ketchup can only go on the fridge door. 😉
Guess I'm special - mine is in the cabinet.
Me too! I dislike cold ketchup.
Women's jeans - ugh! I only buy men's jeans anymore - I love that I can buy by inseam and waist measurement. Men's jeans also tend to be thicker and last longer. Then again, men's jeans work well for me since I have no butt or thighs (women's jeans always bag on me) and I'm not exactly on trend 🙂 Your results may vary - but I love walking into a Walmart and grabbing a pair of $20 jeans that will last me for years.
Old Navy often has jeans for $15 (usually they are around 50$) and more often they are 50%off sales. They good quality and for that price you can't go wrong.
Thank you so much for the tip about silicone lid replacements for my Pyrex glass storage bowls. I love the bowls, but the original lids cracked and so did the first set of plastic replacements I bought. I ordered the silicone lids immediately.
I just love the silicone ones! I think they are going to be much less prone to cracking than the plastic ones.
I missed the silicone lids.. need them! I have two glass Pyrex containers with cracked lids
You can also order only the replacement lids on Amazon, FYI 🙂
When my husband and I were registering for wedding gifts (12.5 years ago), he thought he'd be funny and register for a pack of Oreos. They ended up being put at the very top of our list and people gave us over 20 packs of Oreos! One person gave us a pack each of 11 different kinds. We had fun trying them all. My favorites are mint, birthday cake, and Aldi's candy cane. Aldi has their version of the birthday cake ones as a special buy right now, so as research for my answer I opened the pack and tried them - they're delicious!
this is so cute! My husband registered for Sour Patch Kids and board games, and we got them haha!
That is so fun! I wish we would have done some fun registering like that. We took ourselves way too seriously back then.
We registered for M&M's - We had a treat for months!
Yesssss pink sauce for life I totally agree!! Thanks for answering my question 🙂
Am wearing I two pairs of jeans I bought at my favorite consignment shop, for the 4th year in a row!! I purchased some white jeans last summer at Target for way less than $100 !!!! They look good this year too. I find just about everything I need at Turnstyle, the local consignment chain here. MUCH more fun to shop there than anywhere, as the variety of good brands,quality and prices can’t be beat!! I also turn in clothes I am tired of .. and when I retired, I got lots of credit for all my work clothes that I turned in and sold!
Food waste: The CLEAR CONTAINER THING is real all really really important! With Covid, and buying groceries for delivery only once a week or every 10 days I became an EXPERT at avoiding food waste. AND menu planning!
LOVE your blog.Though I am retired without kids at home anymore, many of your tips and thoughts are helpful and fun to share.. our frugal ways helped us to retire early and I am here to say, it is SOO worth it to learn to live beneath your means, and to learn to love simplicity.
I am in my sixties. I was the only 6 foot plus tall woman I knew and there were absolutely no pants made for tall women. The average height for a woman back then was 5'5" and clothing was designed for that. I started buying men's jeans in high school and have never looked back.
I'd suggest getting a smaller fridge. It's almost impossible to "lose" things in ours and we are more intentional about what we buy. Yet we can still fit more than we can eat in a week.
Interesting. I'd lose more things in a smaller fridge because there'd be more stacking and double-decking of containers.
I’m with you here. Our old house had a large top fridge and we rarely lost things. Our new house has a side by side and I can’t ever find anything. We have to be very deliberate to not lose anything and eat everything in time.
I love double-stuffed Oreo, and like someone else said, I will open 2 oreos and squish the cream together to make it a quadruple stuffed one!
...And on that note, I don't eat Oreos anymore, because I want to get out of Plus Size pants and actually fit a nice pair of jeans! I have not wore jeans since... hmm... I can't remember. I find them very uncomfortable, like a lot of larger ladies. And if you think regular jeans are expensive, take a look at the Plus Size prices....!
As for pasta, I don't really care for the shape, I'm more interested in what's on top!
For those of you who are looking at replacing your cracked plastic Pyrex lids, they sell them on Amazon (only the lids, not the container)
I love Pyrex, too. Game changer for fridge!
Most of my jeans/pants come from Ross Dress for Less, TJ Maxx, etc.-- often the clearance section. I use them for years -- sometimes to the point of turning into rags. Currently dipping into pairs that were too small and that now fit. Generally these cost from $12 - 20. Am wearing my favorite straight legs from 10? 15? (gulp) 20 years ago from Kmart -- the Cherokee brand--and I love them. The cut is so basic that they never really go out of style. And I am not too picky 😉
ooo and thin vanilla oreos, all the way.
Jeans. Ugh. There is a reason I only have one pair. It is hard to find jeans that fit well, look good on my body type and are comfortable. I never get all three of those things.
I don't mind pasta but I don't especially go out of my way to eat it so I don't think I have a favorite shape. I like the looks of corkscrew pasta because it's fun, I guess.
Oreos: Double stuf are my favorite but they did seem to change formula years ago and it's not the same stuff of my youth. I don't love trader joe's version except at Christmas when they have the peppermint Jo jo's drenched in dark chocolate and tipped with peppermint candy. Totally decadent And delicious.
I’ve found LL Beans jeans last a long time. And if you have an outlet store near you, you can often get them for$12 on the clearance rack.
Thanks to your idea for searching eBay for jeans/clothes, I found my favorite shorts x 2! Winner!!!
And for those jeans that have stretch materials in them, don't machine dry. Always line dry and they last so much longer. Also, always cold water wash them. I have had a pair of stretchy, tight leg jeans for over 4 years now, because always cold water and hang dry. I find if I need them in the morning, I wash about dinnertime and hang dry, they are mostly dry when I wake up. If a touch damp, I put them in the dryer on NO HEAT, just air, to circulate through and they come out perfectly.
Oh, I am so glad! eBay is great if you know exactly what you're looking for.
Candy cane oreos are my favorite!!!!, and pink sauce is my fav pasta sauce, too. Although I do prefer zuchinni pasta now.
Love the fridge organization response!
I grew up with FIFO (first in, first out), and I didn't even realize it wasn't a hugely common thing until I worked at a coffee shop and had to train a BUNCH of new employees on the concept.
Basically, when you unload your groceries, rearrange your fridge so that the newer things you just purchased go behind or underneath the older items that need to be used up. For example, if you buy a new pound of butter, put it behind the one that is older, so that older one is more convenient to grab first.
Doing this regularly forces you to regularly go through your fridge, reminds you to use up older things, and can help you avoid restocking items over and over that you haven't consumed yet. (No, I've never bought cheddar cheese multiple weeks in a row without actually using up any blocks first, why do you ask? 😉 )
I also pair a weekly leftover night with the "fridge sweep" that Kristen refers to, usually on Thursdays. Then on Friday I make my weekly menu and grocery shopping list for the Saturday morning shop.
One last tip I would add is to package leftovers in a way that makes them easy to use. For example, when I make salads for dinner, I put all the toppings in our glass food storage containers to serve on the table (chopped carrots, peppers, onions, etc.). Then, when putting the food away, I just have to put lids on the containers, and later everything's already ready for me to just pull a couple containers out and assemble a salad. Or, if we have soup, instead of packaging all the soup in one huge container, I'll pack it up in single- or double-serving containers that are easy to grab and throw into the microwave to reheat for lunch.
I also found that using a single brand of containers, just in a handful of different sizes, made things a lot easier, too. The containers stack easily, they're a clear glass that looks nice as a serving dish on the table, and I don't have to custom-fit everything - I know I have containers in 1-cup, 2-cup, 4-cup, and 6-cup sizes.
We have chickens and our egg situation was a little out of control this morning. I reorganized them so the oldest were on top, and told my husband "FIFO". He's like WHAT? I said "First In, First Out" he's like, "wow I have never heard of that". Hahha. I worked in the restaurant industry for a few years in and after college!
Yes, the peppermint Trader Joe's "oreo" cookies are so addicting! 🙂 I also eat way too many of them!
American Eagle jeans are the most sturdy and reliable in my opinion and the styles include both trendy fits and more classic fits. They also are size-inclusive, have multiple length options for each waist size, and have lasted longer than any jeans I get elsewhere. I have even purchased some secondhand for about $15 per pair and they are still in great condition even after wearing almost every day for 6 months out of the year for the past 3 years. Plus, their birthday rewards coupon and rewards system is helpful. Get them on sale! Or thrift them!
I've been selling my old books and DVD s on Ebay for several years but it never occurred to me to search for brand name clothing when I know my size.
Thank you for the tip!
For jeans: find a style or brand you like and stick with it. I don't chase fashion and haven't for years. One, I'm tall and thin and they just don't make jeans that fit me well. I currently own two pairs of jeans and that is enough for me (even with 3 young kids). I only wash them when they get food or dirt on them, not every time I wear them. This helps extend the life of any clothing. Before you think I'm gross, I'm not working out in my jeans or doing anything strenuous. Because I only own two pairs, I am more okay with spending more money on that pair as long as they fit me exactly right. That said, my expense pair were $50. They aren't fancy but they DO have front pockets that I can actually fit my entire hand in!