Have you ever asked yourself, or had a conversation with someone about the important things you did NOT learn in school? For instance; I wish I had learned the basics of cooking in school. Everyone eats…..right? My mother told me, “Get out of the kitchen,” when she was cooking. I’m not sure why she did not want her kids in the kitchen but I was never taught the basics of cooking (my poor husband). What makes it a crime; is that I grew up in New Orleans. Some of the best food on the planet is made and consumed in New Orleans. Cooking is a life skill that every person needs including how to prepare food safely.

Financial curriculum, in my opinion, should start as early as elementary school. We all have to know how to manage money to be successful in life. Luckily for me my dad taught me how to balance a check book at age 8. I think I was just slave labor because he had me paying bills for my families personal finances and several of his businesses. Nonetheless, I learned some critical financial skills. My mother taught me to save money and pay cash when you purchase a car. I have not always been able to do that but it is important to teach our children the difference between cash purchases versus credit purchases. It’s important to teach our children about saving money and living within a budget.

Everyone eats and everyone uses money, so why don’t schools have a curriculum that incorporates these vital skills? Hugh Acheson, famous chef and owner of 5 & 10, The National, and other restaurants decided to do something about this. His daughter took a Family and Consumer Science class at Clarke Middle School in Athens, Georgia. One of the baking lessons taught baking by opening a box of Betty Crocker…need I say more? Now, that may be the only way I know how to make a cake but there is certainly a lot of room for improvement. Acheson contacted Philip Lanoue, Superintendent and National Superintendent of the year for 2015, of Clarke County Schools to give constructive feedback. Lanoue agreed with Acheson and asked if he would like to “fix it.” I believe this is how it all got started.

Seed Life Skills was born. Here is an article in Modern Farmer that gives more information about how and why Seed Life Skills was formed. Acheson hired Almeta Tulloss, Program Director, for Seed Life Skills. I am grateful for the opportunity to volunteer for such a worthy cause. Tulloss, Acheson, and others (me), are crafting the new revised curriculum for Family and Consumer Sciences. Clarke County Middle Schools will be the first to experience this curriculum. Acheson wants to eventually take the curriculum nationwide.
Have I intrigued you? Do you want to donate to this worthy cause? Serving up Life Skills can benefit all students. Now, if we can make Family and Consumer Sciences a mandatory course instead of an elective.
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Adele Tusson-Gross
Chief Executive Organizer
Simple Solution Organizing  

How do you feel about your kitchen? Do you love it, hate it, or are you somewhere in between?  Life is better when you love your kitchen or at least like it a lot....

Last week I helped a client organize her kitchen in her new home. She was very excited to move into her own home after renting for many years. She wanted a professional to set up her kitchen. Trying to decide where to put everything can be overwhelming. Simple Solution Organizing helps clients move in and organize their new homes. It is a great service.

Here are some tips on how to organize a kitchen:
 

• Purge items you don't use or like
• Purge expired food
• Items used infrequently can be stored in upper cabinets or top shelves
• Measure the pantry, cabinet, or drawers (height, width, depth) prior to purchasing containers and dishes. Some dishes are too wide for upper kitchen cabinets
• Products are available to organize your pantry, cabinets, and counter-top (Picture above is from Container Store)
• Containers, Baskets, Tupperware: These are all good choices to store food in a pantry or cabinet
• Group “like” foods together: snacks, energy bars, chips, vitamins and Rx's, spice pouches and more
• Canned goods stored on a tiered expandable stand are easy to see, organize and reach
• Spices can be stored on a smaller tiered stand, Lazy Susan, spice stand, or in a drawer with a drawer spice stand made specifically for drawers
• Foils, saran wrap, sandwich bags, and storage bags of any size work well in a drawer
• Lid organizers come in multiple sizes. They work well for cookware lids, party platters and cutting boards. (storing items vertically instead of horizontally can open up additional space)

• To gain space consider storing some kitchen items in a bar, china cabinet, side board, and/or buffet. (Furniture with storage is always a smart investment!)
• Storing Tupperware type containers can be difficult. Drawers work well. Nest the containers together and keep all the lids separate inside one of the containers.
• Containers are available for the fridge too: yogurt cups, soda cans, wine bottles and more

A few of my favorite places to shop for organizing products for my kitchen, bath, and everywhere in-between: Home Goods, Steinmart,Target, Pier 1 Imports and Tuesday Morning.

Happy Organizing!!


Adele Tusson-Gross