Quick Tip: Drawer Organization

Organization always puts a smile on my face and saving money does too.  So, when I stumble upon a great organization idea with supplies from Dollar Tree, I am in heaven!! 

 

When we updated our the kids'/guest bathroom, we were all about having enough hidden storage with cabinets and drawers.  However, when your drawers look like the mess in the picture to the right, then that storage space is really pointless.

 

The cushioned contact paper on the bottom of the drawer has bunched up, there is toothpaste all over the place and there are more unused items than used items in the drawer.  It's a mess!  And this is just ONE of the six drawers.  Needless to say, every time one of the messy drawers is opened, I am a Stress-Mess.  Something had to be done.

 

The first place I like to look to for organization supplies is Dollar Tree.  Imagine my excitement when I found fun, colorful baskets in sets of three or four for (you guessed it) just $1.  I thought, if they fit, they'd be perfect for the messy bathroom drawers.  However, I also wanted to replace the cushion contact paper that lines the bottom of the drawers, just in case anything makes it outside of the baskets.  Guess what!  Dollar Tree had adorable cushioned contact paper too!!  Woohoo!!!

 

I was super happy to bring home the baskets and find out they fit perfectly in the drawers.  The contact paper and the baskets look so adorable.  Also, the drawers are now organized and easy to clean.  Check out your local Dollar Tree and find the perfect organization tools that can help you feel less stressed.  Cheers to an organized and less stressed life!

Get Organized with 3M Command Hooks

We have some much stuff in our house with five family members.  Often times things get lost in the closets from falling down or just getting tossed in.  So, I got organized with 3M Command Hooks.  These things are awesome!!!  They aren't just for Christmas lights and holiday decorations (which I started using them for).  This is what I use my hooks for:

• Keeping book bags/backpacks off the floor and easily accessible
• Hanging Coats
• Storing Belts
• Hanging necklaces and keeping them from tangling

"A place for everything and everything in it's place."  It's a motto I am trying to live by.  Get creative, get organized!

My New Addiction - Thirty-One!

I was introduced to Thirty-One about 6 months ago and now I'm hooked!!!  I tend to refer to Thirty-One as today's version of a Tupperware party but more fashionable.  They have a great variety of bags, purses and more to help organize your life.  As a mom of three, I'm all about organizing!  I am slowly building my own collection.  I love the products so much, I'm considering becoming a consultant.


I was invited to my first Thirty-One party from a fellow PTA member.  I went without planning to buy anything, not knowing what I was getting myself into.  But, as soon as I saw all the beautiful bags and patterns, it took me a while to decide what to get.  Even after I left the party I had a wish list for the next party I would attend.


However, after finding out about the amazing Hostess Rewards, I decided to throw a party of my own.  By just having a party, I earned $125 worth of free Thirty-One products, 2 half-priced items (with half-priced personalization) and the chance to purchase two products exclusive to hostesses only.  I knew then that I would be throwing another party in the future!  Another great bonus, when a guest from my party decided to throw a party of her own, I received a free bag with free personalization!  Talk about rewards!!


Each month Thirty-One offers a Monthly Special discounting some of their most popular products!  For example, this month the special is "For every $31 you spend, get an All-In-One Organizer for $5."  That is a savings of $20!


My favorite products so far are the Large Utility Tote and the Hang-Up Home Organizer.  I keep a Large Utility Tote in my car to help me carry several bags up stairs to my kitchen.  I also use it for road trips and carting donations to my kids' school.  I have friends that use it for going to the beach or pool, tailgating or even laundry.  There are so many ways to use the Large Utility Tote, the possibilities are endless.  I don't know what I would do without my Hang-Up Home Organizer!  It has helped me declutter my desk and kept me from losing important papers in piles of paper.  I use the four pouches for each of my three kids and one for my husband and me.  I keep track of the meals I'm cooking for the week, party invitations, and school papers.  Also, it really looks great on my wall.  It's like a functional art piece.   


You can make Thirty-One products your own with the personalization option.  You can choose from a variety of thread colors and fonts and label it any way you like - your initials, your name or something like "Summer Fun", "Laundry" or "Going Fishing".  Check out the current catalog online - Thirty-One Catalog.  Get creative and have fun!

Storing Crayons

If you lose the box your crayons orginally came in, as most of us do, here are some great ways to store them and keep them from breaking:

• Use an old, plastic baby wipe box and let the kids decorate it with stickers
• For smaller collections try a soap container (great for traveling by the way)
• Small baskets found at a dollar store

When you do have broken crayons, here is a great craft to make for your kids or for their teachers!

• Colorful Crayon Letter

What ideas do you have about storing crayons and what do you do with your broken ones? 

How I Organized My Home Office

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your office space?  I did!  Piles of papers everywhere, lost reminders and missing bills.  I got sick of it and finally organized our home office.  It took some time and a lot of sorting but, it was so worth it. 

We used to have a computer desk with a hutch but, it just gave us a lot of places to pile stuff.  So, we now have a desk without a hutch.  Our new desk has a keyboard drawer, file drawer, a small drawer and a deep drawer.  We also have a matching file chest.  However, with all the paperwork we wished to keep and organize, all that space wouldn't be enough.  So, we pulled up a two-drawer black, metal file cabinet we had in the basement.  With these items I was able to give everything a place.

How I Did It

1. In the file chest, I filled hanging folders with all the paperwork we don't need access to regularly.  On top of it I have a magazine holder with all our current magazines.  (I recycled all our outdated and unwanted magazines. )
2. I put the black file cabinet in a corner of the room with the desk right next to it.  Since it's between the desk and the wall, it's not as noticeable.  But this also gives me a place for the printer to sit.
3. In the top drawer of the black file cabinet I have hanging folders for all our monthly bills: Loans, Auto Insurance, Credit Cards, Utilities, etc.  This way it's easy for me to file them away after I pay them.  I also keep the computer paper in this drawer.
4. The bottom drawer of the black cabinet is used for things we need and receive less often like Medical Bills, Community Information, Home Maintenance Contacts, etc.
5. On top of our desk is the computer monitor, a small desk lamp, the computer's mouse and a stacked file folder holder.  In the holder I have decorative file folders labeled "To Do", "File" and "Bills".  I check these folders each day. 
6. In the desk I keep files for each child including their school information, sports info, etc.  I also keep a couple of pens, my checkbook, stamps, etc.
7. Since I no longer have the hutch to hang things on, I purchased a wood framed cork board that I hung next to the desk.  On it I pin game schedules, school reminders, etc.

One of the most important steps I took was tossing out junk mail before it had the chance to land on a counter or desk.  Piles of papers and mail have always been the biggest source of clutter at our house.  But now everything we need to keep has a place to go.  So there is no excuse for overwhelming piles of paper work to be laying around our house.  Our office finally looks like it belongs to two adults instead of looking like it belongs in a dorm room.

 

Spring Cleaning Checklists

marthastewart.com

With spring comes spring cleaning.  I love starting a new season with a clean house.  It's a great opportunity to get organized.  And it's so much easier to keep an organized house clean. 

However, the idea of spring cleaning can be overwhelming and it's hard to know where to start.  So as usual, I looked to the Internet to find ideas on how to get rolling.  There are a lot of great sites with spring cleaning checklists and how-to's.  Here are a few of my favorite:

Downloadable/Printable Spring Cleaning Checklists

• Martha Stewart's Spring-Cleaning Checklist
• Good Housekeeping: 12 Easy Spring-Cleaning Tips
• Spring Cleaning Checklist Printables

If you are like me and you aren't sure about how to make some things sparkle, here is a very helpful link:  Do-It-All Cleaning Guide.  Just select the item you want to clean from the pull down list provided and you are on your way to a spotless home.  If clutter is an issue, visit my post How to Declutter Your Home for helpful ideas and links.  Happy Cleaning!

Quick Tip: Sending Hubby to the Store

If you are like most busy women nowadays, you probably have a dry-erase board somewhere in your kitchen.  Mine is on the fridge with a running list of groceries our family needs.  This list is very helpful when asking my husband to pick up some things while he's out.  One day my husband came up with a great idea.  Instead of rewriting the list on paper, he took a picture of the dry-erase board grocery list with his phone.  Genius!  It saves time and he is sure to get everything we need. 

How to Declutter Your Home

fotosearch.com

One of my New Year resolutions is to declutter my home and keep it that way!  When my home is cluttered I feel out of sorts and it affects all aspects of my life.  If my living room is cluttered with magazines, toys, etc. I get frustrated and end up not wanting to clean at all.  If my kitchen counters are cluttered I usually don't want to cook and head to the closest fast food restaurant.  When my house is squared away, I feel a sense of peace.  And after the holiday rush, I could really use some peace.

I have tried to declutter my home in the past but, I would become overwhelmed and eventually give up.  This time I know I need a plan of attack.  So, I did some research and this is what I plan to do (based on what I found):

1. One Space at a Time - No matter how big or small, only work on one area at a time (ex: the linen closet).
2. Designate Space - Decide what the space will be used for (ex: linen closet - linens only!)
3. Empty It and Clean Out - Remove everything from the area.  This will give you an opportunity to thoroughly clean it and evaluate how much usable space you actually have.
4. Classify the Clutter - Categorize the clutter you are removing into boxes/bins:  trash, recycle, keep and sell/donate.
5. Organize - Before putting items into the space, utilize and organize with boxes, bins, shelves, etc.  This will give everything it's place and make it easier to keep tidy.
6. Maintain - Be sure not to put items in the space that don't belong.  Revisit the space - straighten it out and declutter every few months.

Helpful Links

• 10 Ways to Declutter Your Home
• How to Declutter
• 4 Simple Tips for Declutter Your Home
• 10 Simple Declutter Tips

Stretch Your Grocery Money

Now here is a mom who knows what she is talking about.  Gina is a stay-at-home-mom with three young children (including a set of twins).  She has created a blog, Moneywise Moms, where she shares all her money saving ideas.  She has tons of great advice to offer.  However, since my favorite ways to save money are at the grocery store my top three favorite posts on Moneywise Moms are:

1. Cook Once, Eat 10 Times
2. Cook Once, Eat 10 Times (Chicken Edition)
3. Saving Money on Groceries (with NO Coupons)

Thank you Gina for taking the time from your busy schedule to share your wonderful money saving ideas with the rest of us.  I look forward to your future posts.

Stop Throwing Away Groceries!

With money tight these days I do everything I can to stretch every dollar.  So, when I throw away spoiled groceries at the end of each week, I feel like I'm throwing away money.  I knew I had to do something about it right away.  So I began to work on a new grocery buying and using strategy.  

When I thought about it I realized I would buy ingredients needed for only one recipe and those ingredients would go bad before I made the recipe again.  So, I sat down and thought about recipes that share the same ingredients and decided to group all those recipes into one week of meals.  This way I will be able to use all my groceries without leaving anything to toss in the garbage at the end of the week.  This is what I cam up with so far:

Main Groceries:

• 4 Large Split Fryer Chicken Breasts
• 2 lbs Beef Rib Meat
• BBQ Sauce
• Sack of Potatoes
• 1 Bunch of Celery
• 1 Bunch of Carrots
• Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
• Tortilla Shells

Meals:

1. Homemade Chicken Soup
2. BBQ Chicken
3. Chicken Salad 
4. Chicken Quesadillas
5. Cheesy Roll-Ups (tortilla shells and shredded cheese; roll up and cook in microwave for 20-30 seconds)
6. Beef Stew
7. BBQ Ribs
8. BBQ Rib Wraps
9. Carrot Stick Snack (left over carrots)

*Images from http://www.fotosearch.com/

Weekly Menu of Family Dinners

I have found that when I plan out our family meals for the week before heading to the grocery store, I save more money and time.  I tried designating a meal for each day but I felt restricted by it.  Instead, I plan five family dinners for the week and get all the groceries needed for them at the beginning of the week.  Each day, I choose one of the meals depending on what I'm in the mood for.  I already have all the groceries, so there's no need to run out to the store again until the weekend.  Here is an example of my Weekly Dinner Plan and Grocery List:

Dinners

1. Pork Chops, Green Beans and Stove Top Stuffing
2. Spaghetti, Corn and Garlic Bread
3. Shoyu Chicken with Rice and Peas
4. Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
5. Beef Stew with French Bread

Grocery List

• Pork Chops
• Hamburger
• Chicken Thighs
• Stew Meat
• Stove Top Stuffing
• French Bread
• Rice
• Sandwich Bread
• Canned Green Beans
• Frozen Corn
• Frozen Peas
• Carrots
• Celery
• Potatoes
• Butter
• Garlic Salt
• Shoyu Sauce
• Brown Sugar
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Spaghetti Noodles
• Family Size Can Chicken Noodle Soup
• Sliced American Cheese
• Jar of Pork Gravy
• Jar of Beef Gravy

Organizing my meals at the beginning of the week has gotten rid of the stress that hits everyday at 4:00 pm when I'm asking myself:  "Uh oh, what am I making for dinner!?!".  I hope this list helps you too! 

Money Matters

I am a stay-at-home-mom and I believe that part of my job is to help save my family money and to take care of the bills. So I am always on the look out for easier ways to manage and save money. 

A big help for me is my "money folder". It is a 3-ring binder with the following: Yearly Calendar, Weekly Planner, Checkbook Register, Bill Tracker and Address Book. This folder helps me stay on top of bills, schedules and keep track of our money. It's very convenient having everything in one place instead of all over the place.

1. The first thing in my 3-ring-binder is a Yearly Calendar in a page protector. On this calendar I circle all the dates of the year that we are going to receive a paycheck. This helps me decide which bills are paid with which paychecks.
2. Next I have tabs and for my first tab I use my Weekly Planner Pages to keep track of detailed information for school events, appointments, family functions, etc. I transfer this schedule to a monthly dry erase calendar I keep posted in my kitchen for everyone to see. This way my husband can't say "You didn't tell me!". If he does, I just point to the board. =)
3. I don't know about everyone else out there but, as soon as I got a debit card those little checkbook registers that come with your checks last me about a month. So, my second tab is for my Checkbook Register sheets.
4. My third tab is for tracking my bills with my Bill Tracker pages. Here I keep track of when I plan to pay a bill, when it is due and the amount. Once I pay the bill I note how and when I paid/mailed it.
5. The last tab is for my Address Book sheets. I bought alphabet tabs for this section and print my own sheets to list my contacts and their information.
6. Add a 3-ring-binder pouch to keep all your coupons in.  They will be easy to find for your next shopping trip.

You can find all the documents I discussed under the "Money Matters" tab above. Feel free to use them to create a "money folder" of your own.

Organizing School Papers

All the paper work and art work that comes home with my kids can be overwhelming at times.  So, I knew I had to find a way to organize it all.  I found what works for me and maybe it can work for you too.

1.  Artwork Display:  For all artwork that we would like to display but can't fit on the fridge, I made a display with 4 nails, 12 clothespins and some twine.  In my kids toy room I chose a wall to display their artwork from school.  I decided to make two rows (one for each school age child).  Each row was created by using two nails and stringing a string of twine (or yarn) from one nail to the other securing the ends with knots.  Then I used the clothespins to hang their artwork.  To make it a little more colorful you can paint your wooden clothespins or buy clips in a variety of colors. 

2.  School Bins:  We have small plastic bins for each child.  The bottom of the bin is at least the size of a 8" x 11" piece of paper and deep enough to hold several papers.  I let the kids pick the color of their bin.  My kids chose dark bins, so we used masking tape for name labels.  I tucked them away in cabinet that they have easy access to.  At the end of each school day we go through their book bags and put all worksheets and artwork (that's not put on display) in their school bin.  I go through their bins every once in a while and toss unneeded and unwanted papers to avoid an overflow of papers.

3.  School Folders:  Keeping track of all the informative papers sent home can be a hassle, especially if you have kids in different schools like me.  So, I created a folder for each child and put their name on it.  I use the plastic/durable portfolio folders with two pockets and 3 fasteners inside.  I like to use page protectors in the fasteners for Lunch Menus, Class Schedules, School Contact Information, etc.  I keep all the folders neatly together in a magazine file right on my desk.

Each day when my kids get home from school we go through their book bags and decide what goes where.  My house is less cluttered and I'm less stressed.  Mission Accomplished!     

School Behavior Chart

When my son began to have a difficult time in school last year I developed a behavior chart for my son (click here or go to "Printables" page) to encourage good behavior at school. We hung his chart on a wall.  Every day that he did well in school he got a sticker  to put on his chart (I found 180 motivational stickers at our local Dollar Tree). Each day he got a sticker he got a privilege of his choosing (30 min. of video/computer games, extra time outside, etc). After he earned a certain number of stickers he was given a reward (toy, book, special time with a parent, etc). 

I also created a behavior chart for the teacher (click here) to fill in and send home each day.  I added clipart of cartoon characters that my son liked to personalize it.  This chart helped made sure the teacher, my husband and I were all on the same page when it came to keeping my son on track at school and at home.  These charts really helped us and I hope they will help you too!