Grandma Wee Wee

Grandma Wee Wee on the Left, Cory's mom Liz on the Right.

We Stayed with Grandma last weekend.  Her real name is Eva Ruth Billman.  She is a lot of fun and has so much to teach us!

Grandma's Spices

11-12-10

I had Grandma Wee Wee give me a tour of her home today, and teach me how she organizes her things.  It was very enlightening!  I don’t think there are many people who could just open up all their drawers and cupboards for a person at a moment’s notice. 

I took notes as we went, and here are some of the things I gained:

”I am a box and bin person” she said, opening a kitchen cupboard.  She had several small Tupperware containers labeled with spices.  They stacked neatly and it was easy to see the contents of each.  I asked her if she bought her spices in bulk, because they were larger containers than the ones that spices come in now.  She said she did and there was a place in Washington you could get a big container of Cinnamon for $5.  I asked about Tupperware being an investment.  She said it was at the time but that she waited until they could afford it and then bought it, and she has used them ever since.  

Homemade Drawer Dividers

She showed me her kitchen drawers.  She made dividers in them by glueing strips of wood in the front and back and then sliding a piece of Masonite down between the strips.  It’s easy to take out and clean and it’s sturdy. 

Under her kitchen sink she built a little shelf so that she would use the vertical space more efficiently.  It was covered in linoleum for easy cleaning.  She attached a lid holder to the cupboard door and it had scrubbies and toothbrushes in it for easy access to clean the sink/stove.

Her pan drawers were deep, with several low, big boxes that were labeled so that she could pull out what she needed (Her homemade slide out drawers)

Another cupboard has Tupperware with all kinds of dry goods—spaghetti, Bisquick mix, Graham Crackers, Chocolate Chips, etc.   She said many of these products are in the garage in buckets, and she will go out and refill the smaller Tupperware containers as needed.  It looked very neat and tidy, like the spice cabinet.

Another cupboard had boxes which had been covered with Contact Paper.  These were open on the top and held her magazines, cookbooks, and patterns.

In her dish cupboard she pointed out there was nothing old or broken.  She just kept the functional stuff. 

Egg Container in Fridge

She sections her fridge into containers...

Of course a shoe rack as well as shoe shelves she built, to the left. 

She built this shelf and added hooks underneath for storing her necklaces.

I pulled out some of her sewing trims wrapped around cardboard.  Awesome.

Buttons and small notions, all labeled.

Craft paint, labeled and sectioned in a drawer according to hue

these are the yellows

Scrapbooks through the years-- she uses parts of cards to decorate the pages.

Scrapbooking Supplies

Cute House :)

Definitely a homey, Grandma's house feeling here!

Fuzzy picture of her family birthday calendar

Her sock drawer is divided with cardboard which has been hot glued to the inside of the drawer.  She does this with many drawers!

Canned goods on rolling shelves

Home canned goods in shelves built to certain heights for jars.

 So, here are some ideas to chew on.  She's fabulous.  Most of her organizing methods are not expensive, as she is one of those great children from the depression.   But they work and they have served her well for many years.  She inspires me to be better and take care of the home I've been given.