Friday, January 13, 2012

Lets Talk Organization - of cookie cutters, cookie decorating supplies and more

Did you make New Years goals for 2012? Yaa me too. The usual. Be the best mom I can be, lose weight, exercise more, make memories with the kids, stay on top of the chores, make pretty cookies, learn how to go to bed at a normal hour, be of service, save the world, you know the usual stuff ;-) Was one of your goals to get more organized? Well maybe I can help with that one at least. This is what works for ME.

Pretty huh... and functional. 
If you're anything like me and you like to buy lots of cookie cutters online and you probably have lots of these little baggies of goodies. The wonderful companies like CopperGifts.com and KarensCookies.net send super fun goodies in your orders and eventually they tend to stock up and make a mess.
 They go right along with all these jars in tons of different sizes. I used to think I was so organized and I kept them all in one large pretty pink box... until it overflowed and I found that I wasn't using all the pretty fun things because it was too much work to go through them all to find what I wanted. 
So I found these 8 oz tubs with lids by Delitainer that stack and I'm a happy camper. You can find them on Amazon here.
They look super pretty with my sanding sugar jars, don't they? Yep, I'm in love with my cookie decorating cupboard now. The 20-oz glass jars are available on Amazon here. The link is for jars with glass lids and mine have silver lids that are no longer available, but close. The larger jars, which are my favorite because of the cool olden day twist on silver lid, are from Target. I know Walmart has them too. Unfortunately I can't find them on Amazon for you and it doesn't say on my jar the size or who it's made from, but I promise you can find them at Target and Walmart and they are super useful for sanding sugar. You can buy the big bags (1 pound) of sanding sugar from Country Kitchen SweetArt.
 oooh
 aaah
I know the part you've been waiting for.... COOKIE CUTTER STORAGE. That's my favorite part too. I LOVE my cookie cutter storage and it was really easy too. I bought some of the wooden bins at Target in their ITSO line and then added more of these storage bins from Amazon when ITSO made theirs all white. The cloth storage bins are from Target and also available on Target.com and they come in lots of colors for those that don't like pink (tell me that's not possible, right?!). This picture is from several months ago and these bins are fully loaded now :-)
Here's a close-up of the bins. There are large bins and smaller bins.
 Here is inside one of the larger bins.
The bins are super easy to organize all your cookie cutters and this is what works for me.
Want help organizing your cookie cutters? I keep a spreadsheet of all my cookie cutters separated by theme/category and it includes the size and where I purchased it. Want your own spreadsheet? I made one just for you. The first section is filled out so that you know how to use the spreadsheet, but the rest is blank except for the categories/themes so that you can personalize it to what works for you. Just go here to download your own copy and personalize it.

I also have lots of satin ribbon on large rolls. I used to buy the individually designed ribbon and decided it was much less expensive this way. Now I use personalized cookie tags to close my cookie bags more often for that personal touch, but I still use my ribbon sometimes too. Unfortunately I don't recall where I got the big spools of ribbon, but if you look at the bakery boxes links below, they would have it too.
 I also have several binders of my cookie designs and of cookie designs that inspire me and who the design was from so I can give credit where credit is due. 
 and those pink bins in my kitchen are where I store my decorating bags and tips and the bags for the cookies too.
 and my pretty pink mixer lives here.
Boxes and shipping stuff is up next. I have a storage room. When our little surprise son arrived almost 18-years ago, we added on a small room and now we use it specifically for storage. Someday it will also be used for the grandchildren's playroom. I have lots of pretty boxes in different shapes and sizes. I like boxes from BRP and Nashville Wraps and PaperMart and Box and Wrap.
 Inside an old dresser, I store shipping supplies. I rarely ship cookies, but my best friend is in Massachusetts and my niece is in Los Angeles, so there are times that I hold my breath, pray and ship my cookies. One drawer has bubble wrap.
 And another drawer for shipping peanuts (yes mine are pink). And another drawer for newspapers and shipping tape and such.
The other side of the storage room has pens, pencils, tape, binders, foam projects, scrapbooking stuff and super fun hama beads and our Harry Potter book collection.
Are you ready to get organized in 2012? I didn't show you all the pictures. My office is a HUGE mess right now. Seriously an embarrassing mess! I better get to work... but before I do, tell me what are YOUR goals for 2012? My biggest goal of the year is to get out of my own way. I tend to get stuck in my head and overly self-conscious. It's a woman thing right? I saw this saying "Whether you think you can or think you can't, You're RIGHT!" That is my mantra for 2012. 
Yesterday on a bike ride, two gals in a car drove up next to me and slowed way down. They leaned out the window and yelled "We love you. Seriously we love you. You're amazing". I don't know them. They don't know me. I'm sure it was all the pink, but I actually CRIED. I said thank you so much and they drove away and I cried. How nice is that to take the time to tell a complete stranger something so nice? I was out riding alone and trying to find my way and feeling nervous and I honestly felt like it was God sending an angel to keep me motivated and not as self-conscious. What an amazing blessing.

So what are your goals for 2012? I shared.
It's your turn.

20 comments:

  1. Cristin, what an amazing post, I'm so jealous of all your storage, and your kitchenaid has it's very own cabinet! I'm definitely going to find some clear containers for all my little sprinkle stuff.
    And in case you didn't realize it, you are an inspiration to people everyday! Not everyone comments but everyone looks and drools, and says if only i could do that. And then you do a tutorial and show us all how!
    Happy new year and my only resolution is to take another step out of my comfort zone cooking wise. I love to bake but cooking is just to get me to dessert!
    Hugs!

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  2. You are amazing...I had tears just reading your post.

    My professional goal would be to grow my business this year...June is when I celebrate my 1 year anniversary...of being in my "professional" kitchen.

    My personal goal...to finish my first half marathon in May and my first half Ironman in July.

    Thanks for your inspiration.

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  3. You ARE amazing! And so super organized. I started out putting my cutters in gallon zip bags and storing them in an empty dresser. Now I've graduated to the 18 gallon bins you can get at Target. I just discovered I need at least 2 more. My sprinkles, food coloring, piping bags and all the other decorating stuff are in two 3-drawer plastic rolling carts and they are bursting at the seams. I am officially retired on 1/31 so organizing my ever-expanding cookie habit is the first thing I will devote my time to! And lose a few pounds :) Thank you for your post - truly inspiring!

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  4. wow, even your packing peanuts are pink LOL. love it!

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  5. I love your organized Ideas, I wish to have space enough to do mine in that way, but unfortunatly my house is very small. One of my 2012 resolutions is move to a house that got a more space on the kitchen for me, so im getting ready for it. Hope could do it pretty soon, another resolution is do more excersice and practice my cake and cooking decoration every single day if I could.
    P.S I love all yur pinky stuffs im quiet pinky as myself too :) thanks for this wonderfull post. Happy 2012!!

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  6. Wow, you are so organized! I so need to get on the ball! Thanks for sharing your story, Cristin~Loved it! You inspire me to get back on my bike too:)

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  7. I love this post, Cristin. I'm an organization type person too...it just makes finding what you want so much easier. I love all the containers for the sprinkles...I hadn't thot of that yet. Great idea. For the sanding sugar too. I'm envious of your storage for your mixer. And that it's pink!!! So Cool!! Sharon @the Plaid Cookie

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  8. My goal is to develop my cookie-making & decorating skills this year and seeing if the Lord will allow me to turn this into a small home business. I'm a few years from retirement, and this would be such a nice way to spend those years being 'busy' and producing a little income at the same time. Love your storage! I don't have much yet in the way of supplies but I can see that day coming...will have to borrow some of your ideas :) Thank you for generously sharing with us.

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  9. HAHAHAHA! I am grinning from ear to ear! I am not alone! You have my sickness, in PINK! Love ya girl!

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  10. @SweetSugarBelle It IS seriously a sickness and really, I think a whole bunch of us can say it's YOU'RE fault Callye! You got so many of us started in this crazy obsession! You are an inspiration to us all!

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  11. And I LOVE YOU TOO
    U are so nice & so super organized.

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  12. OMG, right before I saw your email I told my daughter---"my goal of 2012 is....o r g a n i z a t i o n!!!!!! and I open your email and there's all your organization W.O.W!! not only that but guess what my favorite color is???? yup, pink, pink, pink!!
    Thank you soooo very much Cristin for such an amazing post!!!!
    You are blessed :)
    Hugs

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  13. Oh wow...I am moving this year and have been fantasizing about my new organization. Yours is a dream come true! I love the pink...I walk, a lot, and Santa bought me the greatest LuLulemon jacket in bright pink, everyone asks me, was that you???? Yep, happy in my bright pink! Why workout in black?

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  14. You just organized my life!! I want to hug you!!!!!

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    Replies
    1. You made me smile Lisa! Happy to help! I LOVE your cookies and your posts!

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  15. Oh, Cristin, I so relate to your love of pink! I have the same pink mixer, affectionately known as "Precious". I have a pink bike, too, but I need to do a much better job of actually getting on it occasionally! haha!

    Thanks for all the organization tips. My cutter collection is in dire need of some sorting out, so I think I will be on the lookout for a storage system that will fit in my little place.

    Thank you for being such an inspiration!

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  16. Hi Cristin,

    I just found your site via Pintrest and I LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing your storage/organization - I don't know what it is, but I just love having a look at how other people store their supplies...I think it inspires me to be more organized!!
    Robyn

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  17. Hi Cristin,
    I just found your site...thank you for the cheery PINK site, the organization tips, and for being a baker/cyclist!! I thought I was the only one who did both. Tell me, how do you balance your time between all the duties--mommy, baking/decorating/cleaning, and riding!?
    Thank you for being inspiring!!
    Mari
    P.S. My bike is in the shop now for tuning...and a new pink handlebar wrap!! ;)

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    1. A fellow pink cyclist/baker! Glad to have you here. Unfortunately I am the worst person when it comes to balance. Seriously the worst. A good example is the last two nights I've been up working on cookies til 4:30am. So as long as you don't need sleep, you can fit it all in ;-) Unfortunately the cycling gets put to the side when I'm too busy with all else. It's a constant juggling act with too many things that I love to do.

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  18. Thanks for sharing this awesome post with us. I really appreciate your efforts to make this post.

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Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! I love hearing from you! Cristin