Find out how to arrange your dry and canned goods, oils, baking items and snacks so your shelves stay neat.

Hello Friends,

It seems to be one of those unwritten laws that no matter the size of your pantry, it will never seem quite big enough to neatly hold everything you want to put there. And even when you’ve put in the effort to do a thorough pantry clear-out (even decanting the pasta and cereal into labeled containers), it inevitably devolves into its former Cheerio- and dry pasta-strewn state.

In real life, having a photo-ready pantry probably doesn’t top your to-do list — but a smartly organized one can help mornings and mealtimes run more smoothly, which benefits the whole household. Read on for simple strategies to keep the pantry chaos reigned in, no fussy labels required.

Kick things off with a clean sweep. Clearing out the old, stale and unloved snack foods and staples is an important first step — but think of this as just the beginning. To help your pantry stay this way, you’ll need to follow through with smart sorting, user-friendly organizing and regularly scheduled maintenance.

Smart Sorting

Divide and conquer with categories. Keeping snacks and ingredients organized by category is such a big help in the pantry; if this is the only change you make, you’ll still get big benefits. Designate a shelf (or portion of a shelf) to each category, and you’ll be able to find what you need faster. It’s as simple as that. The following categories are a good place to start, but sort in a way that makes sense for how you use your pantry:

• Dried pasta, rice and grains
• Oils and vinegars
• Canned goods
• Baking and sweet ingredients
• Savory ingredients and spices
• Children’s snacks and lunchbox items
• Coffee and teas

User-Friendly Organizing

Corral snacks and ingredients with easy-to-grab bins. Avoid toppling piles and make finding what you need easier by gathering frequently used items in easy-to-grab bins. The bins don’t need to be fancy, but they should be lightweight and easy to clean in case of spills (plastic works well).

Keep spice storage one-deep. Whether you store spices in a drawer or on wall-mounted shelves, aim to keep those little jars one-deep so that you can see what’s where at a glance. This serves another purpose too: When you can see what you have, you’re a lot less likely to buy duplicates — and having fewer duplicates means less clutter.

Increase access with Lazy Susans. These handy turntables make reaching items at the back of the cupboard (without knocking everything over in the process) a breeze. Put a single Lazy Susan or a stacking unit (as shown here) in the part of your pantry that really drives you nuts, and see what a difference it makes.

Put walls to work with vertical storage. The one-deep rule for spice storage works well for other items too: Give it a try on a blank pantry wall where there isn’t enough room for standard-depth shelves. Frequently used items (like olive oil, favorite seasonings and broths) are good bets for storing on wall shelves like the ones shown here.

Know when to decant (and when to let it go). Smart items to decant include ingredients bought in the bulk bins, as well as items that you want to keep fresh for longer. And if you have problems with pests like ants or moths, it’s safest to keep pantry staples like sugar and flour in airtight jars. But decanting just for looks? Do it if you like to. Otherwise, keep things simple and save your energy.

Last But Not Least: Regularly Scheduled Maintenance

Make mini clear-outs part of your routine. While planning what to have for dinner in the week ahead, it’s natural to take a peek in the pantry to check if you have the necessary ingredients. Take advantage of this by using the time to do a quick clearing out of used-up and stale items, and to straighten up the shelves.

Tell us: What helps you keep your pantry organized? https://goo.gl/Vib8av

Thanks so much!

ERA Skyline Real Estate

3376 Harrison Blvd

Ogden, UT 84403

801-627-6500

6 Concrete Tips for the Perfect Concrete Patio

Hello Friends,

Thanks to Dirty Boys Concrete for contributing to this article.

When it comes to creating the perfect backyard patio, you want advice you can really set in stone. Before you cement your plans, use this handy little cheat sheet to help guide your decision-making process. No frills; just the concrete facts, ma’am.

Goldilocks and the Three Patios

We all know the story of Goldilocks, but only the best readers understand that it is a parable about patio size. So before a blond forest urchin breaks into your house and provides a running critique of your backyard leisure area, ask yourself: Do you want a big, medium or small patio? For instance: If you have 10,000 Instagram followers and belong to the local BBQ Society, you might want a large space. If you’re more of a wind-down-with-the-nuclear-family sort, go for medium. And if you are really and truly alone in this world, consider a micro-patio. (Hint: Your patio can’t be bigger than your yard. That’s a parking lot.) The important part is that you (and Goldi) think it’s just right.

And while we’re talking about math (gotcha), make sure you consider the slope of your yard before you build. You want the rain to flow away from the party, not onto it. So invite your old calculus teacher over and dust off that TI-95 for a little rise-over-run action. Also, if your patio is lower than your lawn, it will flood. But you don’t need to invite a high school math teacher over to tell you that.

Backyard Bling

You might think all concretes are made alike. You would be wrong. There are as many different styles as there are snowflakes. Alright, that’s definitely not true, but seriously, you’ve got options. Again, you’re going to have to do a bit of soul-searching. Do you want a patio for entertaining? Is it a fire pit you’re after? Do you simply want to pave paradise and give Joni Mitchell something to sing about? If it helps, think of this like MTV’s Cribs, but for concrete. There are decorative, stamped or patterned options for the rags-to-riches types, colored or acid-stained concrete for people who like to wear shawls and bright glasses with beaded chains, fire areas for pyros, and regular old rustic concrete for people who always want to remember where they came from/are still Jenny from the block. Hey, maybe you could even get a diamond-studded patio — a grill for your grill, so to speak. Take-home message: Go wild!

Concrete vs. Shark

Definitely concrete. (Go with us for a minute here.) Is a shark super-versatile? Easy to maintain? Does a shark last longer than conventional wood patios? Can it be customized to your exact specifications, and can it promise to not shift or move over time? No, dummy, that’s concrete, which is why it’s way better than a shark (and competing patio materials) to grill your dogs on. Also, sharks have to keep moving to stay alive — obviously less than ideal for a patio.

Concrete Makeover

No, it’s not HGTV’s latest home improvement reality show, it’s just one of many options you can consider when remodeling your backyard. If you already have a patio, why not give it a face lift? If the concrete is in good condition, it would look even better with an acid stain or seal to improve color and shine. If it’s looking a little drab, try a color upgrade that works better with its natural complexion (yours is totally a spring). At the very least, try taking your patio’s glasses off. That always works in the movies.

Etc., Etc.

You know what they say: If you reach for the stars and fail, at least you’ll hit the moon. Well what if you got both? Besides a basic concrete slab, there are add-ons you’ve never even thought of for your patio; ask your contractor about adding custom countertops, firepits, water features, benches, and planters.

(Wo/)Men at Work

Who can that be knocking at your door? Probably the licensed, insured, and experienced contractor you hired to do your patio right! But seriously, if everyone’s favorite Aussie rock band were to launch a public information campaign, we are sure they’d tell you to properly vet the women and men at work on your dream backyard. Ask about a contractor’s qualifications and take a look at their past work and online reviews, as well.

Interested in getting some of those licensed, insured and experienced contractors over to your house for a consultation? Try the clean, dependable guys over at Dirty Boys Concrete, who contributed the tips above, or another highly rated service professional on the KSL Classifieds app. http://www.ksl.com/?sid=44012231&nid=1268&title=6-concrete-tips-for-the-perfect-concrete-patio

Thanks so much!

ERA Skyline Real Estate

3376 Harrison Blvd

Ogden, UT 84403

801-627-6500

10 Totally Free Tips For Getting Your Home Sold Quickly

Hello Friends,

Staging your home is a critical step in getting it sold, but all the recommended updates and upgrades can get pricey. Thankfully, there are tricks you can use to make your home look bigger, better, and brighter, without spending a dime.

1. Fix up your floors

Don't want to pay to replace or refinish your floors? No prob. Grab a brown crayon to fill in divots. A one-to-one mix of olive oil and vinegar rubbed directly on scratched areas will also help make it look new. You can also use canola if you don't have olive, but then use a one-part vinegar, three-part oil mixture. Or, try this hack that uses walnuts to fix scratches. No, seriously.

Floors look great but don't sound so hot? "Fix creaky wood floors with a generous dusting of baby powder," said One Crazy House. "Work it into the cracks until the floor is no longer noisy."

2. Make it sparkle

Presumably, you already have cleaning supplies, sponges, and paper towels in the house. Now all you need is some elbow grease to make your home look shiny and new.

When selling your home, you need to take the cleaning beyond your typical weekly run-through. Think "Spring cleaning" turned up a notch or two. Remember that potential buyers will be looking everywhere, including inside drawers and cabinets. Make sure they're crumb-free and well organized. They may also open your refrigerator. While this can seem intrusive, you don't want to give them a reason to walk away, so make sure to tidy up the inside, wipe up any spills, throw away rotten food, and put a nice big box of Baking Soda in there to absorb any leftover smells.

3. Let the light in

Everyone is looking for "natural light," so show off what you've got by opening up those blinds and drapes. Did you just reveal a bunch of dirty windows and sills? Ewww. Grab that cleaning spray and make them shine. An old toothbrush is a great way to get gunk out of corners and in window tracks.

If your place isn't light and bright, even with all the blinds and drapes drawn, you'll need to depend on artificial lighting. This is no time to have lightbulbs out. Go hit that stash in your laundry room cabinet and switch out for fresh bulbs.

4. Declutter

Home stagers will tell you there is no more important step when preparing your home for sale. "If you are serious about staging your home, all clutter must go, end of story," said Houzz. "It's not easy, and it may even require utilizing offsite storage (or a nice relative's garage) temporarily, but it is well worth the trouble."

Do a walk-through with an outsider's eye, or ask a friend or family member to help since they'll be more objective. Anything that isn't used regularly or is taking away from the open feel of the house can be packed away. Small appliances and anything else hanging out on countertops can be put in a cabinet if you're not ready to stick it in a box. You want people to see the bones of the house, not your blender.

5. Depersonalize

While, you're decluttering, keep personalization in mind. Buyers want to be able to picture themselves living in the home, and they might not be able to do so if they can't take their eyes off your wall of taxidermy.

6. Create closet space

Even if you have the world's largest walk-in closet in the master bedroom, you can give buyers the impression that there isn't enough space by overfilling it. Stagers recommend taking half of your clothes and shoes out and packing them away to create some airiness. Does the idea of packing up your stuff freak you out? You're going to have to do it when you move, anyway. This is just giving you a head start.

7. Remove the stink

Does your home greet guests with a big whiff of cat box? Potential home buyers might just turn right back around and get in the car. You also want to make sure your animals aren't irritating those who are touring or impeding them from entering certain rooms. Don't want to board them? Surely you have a friend or family member who'd love to watch your pets during showings, right?

8. Pull those weeds

You really can't overestimate the importance of curb appeal today. Even if you don't want to spring for a few bags of mulch and some colorful flowers to frame your door, there are easy and free steps you can take to give buyers a great first impression. Dispose of any visible weeds, leaves, and other unwanted stuff hanging out in the yard. Give your bushes a trim and mow the yard. If you can't power wash your home, at least wash the outside of the exterior windows that are within eye level.

And don't forget about the area closest to your front door. Sweep that stoop and make sure your welcome mat is actually welcoming, instead of dusty and dirty.

9. Address your furniture

Some of the most common problems in homes when it comes to furniture: 1) It's ugly; 2) It's old; There's too much of it; The arrangement is uninviting. Ugly and old might be hard to overcome when you're trying not to spend money, but the rest you can do something about.

"Sometimes when sellers are trying to make a small room seem like it's more spacious, they have a tendency to push all of their furniture against the walls to leave a big open space in the middle. This type of arrangement may leave a lot of open space, but ultimately leaves the interior design looking unfinished -- a big turn off for buyers. In this situation, it's better to create furniture groupings. First, envision the way the space should be used," said Freshome. "Do you have a huge flatscreen TV that requires a lot of seating? Is there a corner in your living room that would serve perfectly as a reading nook? Group the furniture in ways that would make sense for the intended use. Then, make sure that there are clean and direct pathways through the room. You want potential buyers to be able to envision themselves living in your home and one of the quickest ways to do that is by creating a cozy seating area that's fit for conversation."

If the problem is that you've created a crowded space by using too much furniture, ditch a few pieces in a friend's garage for the time being (or, even better, donate them!) to create an intimate seating area. You can always bring those pieces back into your new home.

10. Borrow stuff

If, at the end of the day, your home still isn't looking show-ready, maybe it's time to raid a friend's house. Have a loved one who has an extra couch that's more neutral than yours or a couple of great accessories? It's time to test their love for you. http://realtytimes.com/consumeradvice/sellersadvice/item/1001444-20170417-10-totally-free-tips-for-getting-your-home-sold-quickl

Thanks so much!

ERA Skyline Real Estate

3376 Harrison Blvd

Ogden, UT 84403

801-627-6500