Work Organization: Survival Kit!

To go along with my Purse Organization, I wanted to use more of the beauty bags I have to make life easier.

If I'm not at home, I'm usually at work but there are times things I need aren't there with me. Here are a few things that I thought would make life easier at work:

• Deodorant (For those mornings that I can't remember if I put it on...)
• Hand cream (washing your hands all the time is brutal on your skin)
• Personal products (For.. obvious reasons)
• Medicine (Migraine relief, I need it so I can stop one before it starts)
• Mascara (touch ups)
• Chapstick 
• Sample perfume
• Bandaids
• $ (for a drink, lunch, or if someone is collecting money for something)

I'm sure I'll add more as I discover I need it (and don't have it) but these were a good start. I feel prepared for the little things that come up. 

Purse Organization: Card Wallet!

I have trouble finding the things I need when shopping. I don't know how many times I've gotten to the store and couldn't find a rewards card or coupon I planned to use.

So while organizing my purse this week, I had an idea. I used a little beauty bag that came with a sample set (my mom sends me these all the time- I love using them!). This one was really small so I hadn't figured out what I wanted to do with it.

I saw the keyring and knew it'd work for all the loyalty cards I have! I had to change the ring to a normal keyring so the cards would be able to move, but it worked out really well. I put my coupons inside (and the bigger rewards cards and giftcards).

Now it'll be easy to grab at the checkout. I can also put all the receipts inside as I shop on errand day and balance the checkbook at the end of the day.

Bathroom Organization

I had the great idea to reorganize my bathroom closet. It was a complete mess, pretty much anything bath related was just put in there with no thought to where it should go.

Why is it that this job sounded so much better before I started? Ugh, reorganizing meant I had to take everything OUT then put it back in. I found that we have a supply of toothbrushes and that my husband won't need deodorant for awhile.

The end result is good though. I put baskets to use in reorganizing it. I have a basket for freebies (all the trial sized stuff that I get), perfume, lotions, and haircare products. I used an old wipes container for toothpaste (so it will quit leaking on my stuff!), an old facial wipes container for my bath salts (a dear friend makes them and spoils me), and a shoebox tote for sunscreen. I also have a bigger plastic tote for my hair dryer, curling iron, hair straightener, etc.

Though really this is the easy part of organization. The tougher part will be sticking with it :)

Diaper Box: Revamped!

I can't claim to have thought of this idea. I've seen many all over Pinterest. There are a lot of options for a diaper box. You can glue paper all over it, paint it, glue fabric on it, sew liners, etc. Really if you look you'll probably find a way to revamp it to suit your needs.


That's what I did with this. I don't possess sewing skills outside a basic blanket stitch, so sewing was out.

I don't have a lot of fabric on hand (reason: I can't sew), so even gluing it all over a box was out.

The only wrapping paper I have on hand right now is Christmas, so that was out.

I did have leftover paint from when my husband painted my workspace, scrap fabric from recovering chairs years and years (and years) ago, a glue gun, and an idea.

Start with a diaper (or other) box. Cut the flaps off the top of the box (and out of the handle if your box has them).

Start painting. I painted all over the outside (even the bottom) of the box.

Since the box is glossy, you really need to let the coats dry to cover as much of the print as you can. So add a coat, go read for a bit, then come back and add another.

Once the box is dry, measure your fabric against it. I made mine about 3 inches wide and the length of the box (2 shorter, 2 longer).

Glue a hem for the fabric (reason: I can't sew). I glued a hem by gluing a little bit, folding the fabric over, then continuing. If you can sew, sewing a hem would work too.

I wanted it to stand out a bit more, even after adding the fabric. I cut these freehand (really? can't tell!) and glued them onto the box.

I decided to paint a label for the box I also did these freehand. I know. I thought so too.

Then you have some boxes re-purposed for your needs :) I plan to do at least one more for these shelves, or if my 2 year old's potty training goes the way it has been: for every shelf in the house. It's a long battle.

Family Binder: In Progress

After having to track down numbers, losing an insurance form, and having stacks of "important" papers all over the house, I have decided to attempt a Family Binder. It may be a colossal waste of time, but I'm hopeful.

I found Organizing Homelife's 31 Days of Home Management Binder Printables while checking Pinterest, so I thought it was the perfect time to give it a try. Here's hoping I get it all together!

Do you have a family binder? How do you keep organized? 

Clear the Clutter: works in progress

Remember some of those problem areas I posted about? I spent the day trying to figure out solutions that would keep the clutter away, but I know a day is not enough time to see if something works. So a few weeks later and here's what I've found.

1. Shoes. This will still be a battle. With 5 people in the house, we have a Lot of shoes. Once it cools off I'll pack up the flip flops, so that will help. I went through the shoes and tossed all the old ones (I did leave some for a camping trip, I didn't want to ruin their school shoes). Now if only people would put their shoes BACK.

2. Counter space! Who knew that was there. I have a plan for the pencils/pens. Just you wait ;)

3. Basket of doom. Anything that belongs upstairs goes in the basket. It has to be emptied nightly. Anything left, is gone. Sorry Woody- I don't make the rules. Oh wait! I do.

The more I sort through "problem areas" the more I find. Can your whole house be a "problem area?"

I'm in this for the long haul. Thank you for all your suggestions and for letting me know that I am not alone!

Project Organize the House: Less is More.

I spent 2 hours cleaning out the kids' rooms this weekend. They were away at a slumber party and I knew this was the best time to go through their stuff without protest. What I found really upset me. Headless Barbies, cut up dolls/clothing, missing puzzle and game pieces, and even torn up books! I could not believe the amount of destruction.


This really taught me a lesson. A few of them actually. The first being "make sure that scissors are kept out of reach at all times."

I was so overwhelmed when I walked into their rooms with the intention to clean them, and if I felt that way I could only imagine how they  feel when I tell them to clean up! I barely knew where to start, but pumped up the music and got to work.

Being overwhelmed isn't just something that happens when it's time to clean up, they can be overwhelmed with too many choices! You say "go play!" but with what?

 I always make the promise to not let their rooms get like that ever again, but I'm going to have to be more proactive about it. If it means reducing their toys even more, or going up every few days to help them reorganize, so be it.

Valerie's list of things to do: #2 Clear the Clutter

Honesty is the best policy, right? So I am going to be completely honest right now. I have a clutter problem. A big one. A family of 5 has a lot of "stuff" (or if you wanted to use another word for it, that'd probably apply as well).

So in the interest of keeping it honest, here are some of my problem areas.

Notice I said some. There are more. I thought having a bigger house would mean a cleaner one but I was so wrong. It's not even like most of this stuff is here 24/7. It's usually a different mess by tomorrow (not matter what I do), even my husband has commented that "the house is clean when I get home, but by the time I get up, it's a mess!" Why thank you dear, we have 3 tornadoes that help.

Today, rather than cringe at the piles, I'm going to make some changes. I'll report back at the end of the week to see if those changes have helped.

Do you have problem areas in your house? How do you control the clutter?

10 Holiday Planning Tips

October is one of my favorite months. There’s so much to do! Fall festivals, pumpkin patches, playing in the leaves. I just love it. The only downside is that it seems like once October hits, time goes on fast forward and it’s suddenly Mid-December and I’m not prepared for anything.

So I thought that now would be a good time to start getting ready for the holiday season. Anything I do now will only save me work later, right? I’ve thought of 10 tips (or really, goals if I’m being honest) to help me (and you) get ready for the holidays.

1. Budget. If you haven’t already figured out what you are going to spend this holiday season, time is of the essence! Figuring out what price range you would like to stay in can really help you narrow down the list of things you’re going to get. Don’t just budget for gifts- think about the cookies and goodies you’ll be making, any entertaining you may do.

2. Make your list and check it twice. This goes along with budgeting, but once you have your price range it will help to list all the people you are buying or making gifts for. Don’t forget teachers, friends, class gift exchanges, or secret Santa exchanges. Having a list ahead of time will help you avoid last minute trips to the store to get the gifts you overlooked.

3. Add to your grocery list. Holiday meals can add up, especially if you’re the one entertaining. Start thinking about what you make for your holiday meals and pick up a few extra things as you grocery shop now. If you know you’ll be making green bean casserole, then get extra green beans and set them aside for the holidays. It’d help to have a designated “holiday food” spot in the pantry (if you have the room) so that you can keep track of what you’ve got.  Consider donations to food pantries as well when shopping.

4. Order your cards early. I am one that always has such great intentions when it comes to sending out holiday cards just to have to rush to mail them out in time to get them by New Year’s.  Storkie.com has a great selection of cards to choose from. I love the one below because it shows you don’t have to wait for snow or put on matching PJ’s to send out a great holiday card. The photo from a family vacation is really sweet and shares a memory with others!

5. Start making gifts. If you plan to get crafty and make some (or all) of the gifts you give, the sooner you start working on them the better. This way you can find out if something does not work with plenty of time to figure out a backup plan. It will also prevent you from rushing at the last moment to get things ready. If you haven’t thought about making gifts, check out some of the projects on Pinterest.com. There are so many ideas that you may be inspired to try one out!

6. Bake bake bake. If you plan to make a lot of holiday cookies and goodies, you may want to start your baking a little early. You can freeze the dough for many cookies, or even freeze the baked cookies and thaw them out when you expect company. Making pies and casseroles ahead of time can also help alleviate some stress later.

7. Switch up your wardrobe. Right now in Indiana the weather is indecisive. It is pretty chilly one week and warmer the next. Even so, switching to a fall and winter wardrobe right now would be easier than trying to fit that in during the chaos of the holidays. I talked about my tote system before; I keep off season and larger sizes on hand in totes so that I can easily swap over as needed. If you do it now you can also see if you need new dressy clothes, if tights have seen better days, or if shoes are outgrown. Keep a few items that you can layer in the drawers until the weather has transitioned to cold. 

8.  Clean out the clutter. The holidays seem to just make everything in my house multiply. It would help a lot to start clearing clutter now so that when they arrive I am not completely overwhelmed by stuff. If you don’t need it, donate it. Go through the kid’s toys as well to make room for the haul to come. Also, I think “less is more” when it comes to decorating, because remember everything you put out- you’ll have to eventually take down.

9. Make a holiday calendar. Every December we make a “countdown” to Christmas and do something festive daily until Christmas Day. They range from “build a snowman” to “watch a Christmas movie with popcorn” and are a really fun way to keep the Christmas fun going for a whole month. Think of things you’d like to do with your family and talk with your kids about what they’d like to do this year. 

10. Be flexible. All these plans can be really helpful. You may cut stress out and feel like you’re ahead of the game for once. You also may find that even with the best of intentions things start to fall apart. That’s okay! You’re not a failure and the holidays were meant to be enjoyed, so if the plans don’t work- change them and move on. Don’t get too wrapped up in the itinerary that you forget to enjoy time with your family. 

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the Storkie holiday blogging program. I received compensation for my participation. All opinions are 100% mine.”

How to Menu Plan: Inventory Version.

So you already went shopping for groceries and now you want to know what to do with them. Rather than just figure it out as you go (and risk having to run to the store for a missing ingredient or 5), use your inventory to your advantage.

Some may say that it saves more money to make the menu before you go shopping, but all is not lost if you do it in the reverse order. Sometimes the sales aren’t very clear, sometimes you find a great deal on Manager’s Special, and other times you just have to use up the pantry to save a bit more this week. You can still make a Menu and have it save you both time and money. I would even argue that planning after the fact can be more cost-effective if you are the type that will keep a stocked pantry and freezer.

First step is to take an inventory of what you have. If you are a meat-eater and plan your menu around the meat you buy, make a list of what you have in your freezer available to make meals out of. Then check the cupboards for what you have to add to the meat to make well-rounded meals. Though I like to use paper and pencil to write out my inventory, you could also do this on the computer. The benefit to using your own Excel document is that you can get it all out once, then print it off and use that list to mark what you have rather than write it out each week. It can also become a pantry shopping list and if you want to get really detailed you can even add in the price of each item.

Start by listing the meals you have all the ingredients to make. Cross off the meats and other ingredients as you plan to use them to make those meals. This helps prevent “double booking” your food. Once you have figured out the meals you can make without a variation or substitution, start on the next step.

Plan your substitutions. If you see that you have chicken, soy sauce, rice, but no stir-fry veggies, don’t rule out making a stir-fry. See if you have frozen broccoli or leftover veggies from other meals. It may make a different meal than you’re used to, but it will still taste good and fill your family up. Another meal that does well with substitutions is soup.  You can add leftover rice, veggies, and meat with some broth and make another meal. You also don’t have to have every single ingredient on a recipe card, since it is more of a process than a recipe. 

Still need more meal ideas? Allrecipes.com has an Ingredient Search where you can list what you have on hand (and even some things you want to avoid) and get suggestions.

Write it out. Now that you have made the list of what you can make with what you have on hand, write it out! Sometimes we get busy after planning and then when dinner time comes around we can’t remember everything we planned on making. Writing it down can help prevent this. It can also help avoid making the same meals all the time. You have a list of the stuff you have recently made, and can choose different meals the next time you plan.

I choose to stop there. I have a list of 14 meals to cook for the next 14 days and pick the meal based on what I am able to make on any given day. I like the leeway this allows, since something can come up on a day I planned to make a more time consuming meal and I can just pick one of the quick meals I have on the list and still know that everything is on hand to make it. If you would rather plan your menu to the day, you can go ahead and do that. I tend to pencil in the crock pot meals on days I know I’ll be out of the house a lot, so that I don’t have to worry about coming home and cooking. Also if you plan to go out to eat, eat at a friend’s, or have family over to eat- make sure to add that to your menu as well!

So, now that I've listed my menu-planning process, I am off to make my menu for the next 2 weeks. I'll be posting it tomorrow with a chance for you to link up your Menus as well, so get planning! 

Busy Mom Tips

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. Some weeks I feel like I’m just flying by the seat of my pants. I have lists of stuff to do growing faster than I can cross things off. I do know that things are much easier when I do a few things, which is why I am sharing them here.

1. Use Downtime.

Save time by using time that is usually “wasted.” While waiting for the oven to preheat, load the dishwasher. While the sink fills with water, wipe down the counters. Give the bathroom a once over while brushing your teeth. It may seem like a little thing to do, but it all adds up over a day. Then you’ll find cleaning the house is less of a big job, because it has been broken down into more manageable pieces. It also really helps to have a pre-bed routine. Pick up the last few toys (or make that part of the kids’ pre-bed routine), set out your outfit for the next day, make sure the dishes are done and counters are clear.

2. Write it down.

A lot of the stress I face daily is from trying to remember everything that is going on. Writing it down takes away a lot of the stress because I don’t have to constantly think about it, but I will still remember what I need to do. I have a Franklin Covey planner, because I am better with writing things down than using my phone or computer for day planning. I just like the feeling of writing things down, but I do admit that it gets bulky to carry around all the time. You may find using Google calendars or your phone is more convenient.

3. Plan for the week.

It can feel like everything is falling apart if you’re busy and don’t know whether you’re coming or going. Planning for the week can help. Jot down a few dinner options based on what you have on hand, write out the list of activities that you need to do (or taxi the kids to), and pick out a week’s worth of outfits on Sunday night. It really helps to tell the kids “get dressed” and know they will have weather appropriate and somewhat matching clothing to pick from, it also lets you know if you have enough clean laundry. You could even break it down day by day. When washing the dinner dishes, pick out what you’ll be making tomorrow.

4. Use bags.

I am a big fan of tote bags. I decorate them with felt and fabric paint so I can tell which bag I need, but they have helped simplify my life. Library books go in the Library book bag, so when we head out I know I have all the books we checked out and the kids can easily pick out the next batch. They go to a youth group on Sundays and have the activity books in their bags, so when we’re heading out the door we can just grab and go. When I was working in the classroom, I would keep a folder with all the course information, lesson plans, and needed materials ready to go each morning. It helped to have everything for the course in its own bag so I could grab and go in the morning.

5. Delegate- but don’t sabotage yourself!

It is easy to feel the weight of the week on Monday morning. There is a lot to do and only a week to do it in. This is even more difficult when you still have to catch up from last week. You will burn yourself out if you try to tackle it all in one day, so delegate! If you know that Tuesdays are booked, don’t add on laundry or a time-consuming meal to the day. Instead, use your crock pot (or pull out leftovers) and save bigger chores for another day. Just make sure you actually do them on the designated day! What you don’t do today, you will eventually have to do, so don’t put off too much or else you will be even more stressed out tomorrow.

These tips won't change your life, but they may make it a little bit more manageable. What are your tips for busy moms? If there anything you do to keep from chaos?

Bringing back organization.

Since moving a few months ago, my life has felt chaotic. The whole process happened so quickly, we went from just checking to see how much we could be approved for to buying a house in less than 2 months. I get anxious over change, and 2010 really tested my ability to roll with it. I have a baby and a house that I didn't have at this time last year :)

So now it is time for me to develop a new routine. I fight change so much that I tried to keep hold of my old routines in my new settings and this has not worked at all. I feel overwhelmed at the end of the day and have a hard time balancing all of the different roles I fill in this house.

I am working on:

• A new cleaning schedule (bigger house = more upkeep)
• A menu plan (no more playing "what's for dinner?")
• A better homework routine (my daughter is struggling in a subject and needs more reinforcement, my son begins Kindergarten in August and I want to be sure he is ready).
• A better Blogging pattern (I am so excited about the new prospects that I will lose hours planning. I need to be more efficient with my time). 
• Creating a portfolio (I want to start back at school prepared to finish).

This seems like a lot, but careful planning will make it be less overwhelming than trying to tackle it all at once.

How do you keep your household running smoothly? Are there any organizational tips you can't live without?