I haven’t taken a recent pic of this list from last January, but aside from Kole’s room/closet everything has been checked off. It helps so much to have a list! Even though sometimes I stray away from it and come up with new spaces to organize, the list gives me direction and helps me focus in on what our main problem areas are.
Hopefully by sharing some of my organized spaces from 2012 it will inspire us all to kick it in gear this year and see what we can accomplish! (Que the Rocky music in the background…)
Ahh.. the pantry. Technically this makeover happened in 2011 but it was towards the end of that year so I’m including it in the round up anyway because it makes me happy. This set up has worked so well for us. Our pantry doesn’t always look this picture perfect, but it really is easy to keep organized because the baskets conceal so much and everything has a defined place. That happens because I don’t mix things up in the kitchen that often. Maybe that’s the secret to an organized pantry? You have to be a boring cook.
{January}
In January I found a solution for our crazy amount of stuffed animals (that my girls refuse to part with) and I shared my time management binder (recently updated to a time management notepad). I also got the kids’ bath toys, hair accessories and cupboards under control.
{February}
In February we talked about jewelry solutions and I shared how I organize mine. I also shared how I store cords and cards. Then I ended the month by finally tackling our laundry room cabinets.
{March}
In March I cleaned out and organized the girls’ bookshelf and organized all of my bathroom drawers.
(**sidenote – the bookshelf is currently a mess thanks to my 2 year old sidekick, but I’m happy to report that the bathroom drawers are nice and in tact! One out of two for the month of March – I’ll take it!)
{April}
In April I moved from the bathroom drawers to under the bathroom sink. I also finally organized our master closet. That was a time consuming project and one I was so happy to have checked off of my list!
{May/June/July}
In August I shared some tips for organizing travel with kids and I finally came up with a solution for our morning outfit drama. It was needed and way overdue!
{September}
In September I tackled Addison’s closet and sorted/organized the girls clothes. (I do this 3-4 times a year so that it never takes too long.)
{October}
And my favorite green file box/folders that I use to organize my kids school work until that magical day when I have time to scrapbook again.
Even though I’m sharing a lot of spaces today, this really is SO doable when you break things up and just do a little here and there. Tackle one or two spots a month. That is my goal for 2013. I don’t have an hour or two at a time in my schedule right now so 15 minutes a day will have to do. Eventually progress will be made and your home/life (because the two are very much correlated) will run more smoothly. I’m ready to start now.
Que Rocky music in the background…
or any other music you like.
But Rocky is playing in my head.
Bring it on. :)
I started taping the rest of my cards to the wall next to the frame, but I was having a hard time getting them to stick on the wall so I never got all of them hung and I had to take them down early. I was so bummed!
So this year I was prepared! I bought painters tape (a suggestion from a few sweet readers!) and went to work. I hung some of my cards on the wall and woke up the next morning to this —
I tossed a few red, aqua and silver ornaments in my apothecary jars.
And added a little bling to reindeer #2 I picked up at Home Goods. Because I was having too much fun with the reindeer on my hutch to stop there.
I don’t have time for any of the “extra” stuff right now (home projects, scrapbooking, etc.) so I kept things simple by buying a 5 subject notepad and dividing it into the four main areas I need to focus on each day.
I used the pocket to hold random magazine clippings of toy ideas for the kids. I’ve also used it to hold receipts. I hang on to all of my Christmas shopping receipts so that if we need to do an exchange/return after the holiday we have the receipt ready to go. It’s nice to have them all in one place.
On the paper inside the Christmas section I’ve written LOTS of things:
– Friends to add to our Christmas card list this year and addresses that have changed.
– What I’ve bought for each of the kids and where I have it stashed. Without this I would totally forget where I have things hidden. I’ve had to get so creative because we are tight on space and my girls are SNEAKY.
– A list of extended family. Gift ideas and what I’ve already bought each of them. **You can see why I couldn’t share these pages on my blog. :)
– A list of friends/neighbors I am giving gifts to and what I’m giving each of them. I check each person off after their gift has been delivered.
– Grocery list for Christmas Eve/Day dinner. My mom is coming to our house this year for Christmas so we will have real meals! YEA!
– Random Christmas to-do’s including traditions/activities I want to for sure remember to do with my kids (make our Pretzel Hugs, visit Christmas Card Lane, etc.)
The Christmas section of this binder has been so helpful for me this month. Each year after December I write down a list of things I want to do better/change for next year and I’ll include that in this section too. That way next year I can glance through my notes (hopefully early Fall) and get a jump start on a few things. So that next year will be the year I don’t have that “harried/stressed gotta find a way to fit everything in” feeling. :)
The New House section has also been a huge help for me this month. I keep random magazine clippings and notes that I need in the folder. Plus I love having the notebook to take with me to the house. It’s so easy to use for jotting down notes.
These are a few things I’ve been working on this week. See why my blog posting has slowed down a bit? :) Every day there are decisions that need to be made which always involve research and a lot of phone calls and e-mails. Having it all in front of me in my notepad has really helped me stay on top of things. Nothing makes me happier than pulling out a page of house notes and tossing it knowing those decisions are behind me! I think this system would work great if you are doing any re-modeling or re-decorating too.
The BLOG section of my notebook is where I jot down ideas for blog posts and a sad attempt of a posting schedule that I never really follow. :)
The TO-DO section in the front of my notebook is for all of those random day to day things that come up. It’s my go to list each day to keep my schedule straight. I try to only write down things I HAVE to get done that day. There are so many things I’d love to do, but writing too many things down always overwhelms me and then I never get that satisfying feeling of checking everything off of my list. One of my best time management tips if you are struggling to stay on top of your life is to determine what your priorities are and be ruthless about trimming unnecessary stuff. I have had a hard lesson in that this year! Along with that, only write down your must do’s each day. Be specific and realistic. If you keep your list short you are more likely to actually accomplish it. If there’s extra time you can always do more. Ok. Maybe that was more than one time management tip. You know how I feel about this topic. :)
So I added them on the inside of the front cover of my notebook. When I’m running to Target I grab the Target list and toss it in my purse. My love affair with sticky notes lives on.
So as you can see, this is very similar to my binder. I just took out the extra stuff that wasn’t a priority and added things that are a priority in my life right now. This would obviously look different for each of you, but the idea is the same. Having a place to dump your brain and organize your thoughts makes a world of difference.
This is one of several “drafts” of El’s Christmas letter to Santa. Her top two wish list items keep changing (Santa has learned to hold off on toy making for this child!). Her top two items change, but wish #3 stays the same. For “everyone in the hole univers to have a wonderfull christmas and a happy new year.”
That is my wish this year too sweet Ellie.
And p.s. Santa loves you too.
I have tried a few times this weekend to write something about the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary but the tears fill my eyes so quickly. They blur the computer screen and I haven’t been able to finish. I don’t know that right now will be any different. But I feel like I need to write something. Even though I don’t really know what to say. I am feeling the same emotions we all are – immense sadness, anger, frustration, despair. Those precious babies. The little ones who lost their lives on Friday were the same ages as my girls. It’s such a magical age. Those sweet innocent children went to school on Friday excited to see their teachers and friends. Excited to learn. Excited for recess. Excited for Santa to come. I can’t stop thinking about those amazing teachers and the principal. How terrified they must have been. They were all heros. I can’t stop thinking about the parents hearing the news and not knowing if their child was safe or not. Not knowing if their friends’ and neighbors’ children were safe or not. I can’t imagine a worse feeling. This heartache affects so many people. Parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, friends, the whole community. The whole nation. We are all grieving. So many lives will never be the same. I want to scream. I want to rewind time and do something to stop this from happening. I want to hold my kids so close and never let them leave our house. But all I can do is cry and pray. My prayers go out to everyone at that school. To the community of Newton Connecticut. Such a beautiful small town that reminds me for all the world of the beautiful small town I grew up in. This just all hits too close to home.
Children, staff, and families from the Sandy Hook Elementary School – there is nothing anyone can say or do to take away your pain. But I pray that you will feel the overwhelming amount of love and sorrow and empathy that we are all feeling. I pray that you will know how loved you are. How loved your precious angels are. I pray that you will feel Gods love and know your angels are safe with Him now. I pray that you will feel His arms around you. That you will feel peace and strength and the support of a nation during this most difficult time.
FRESH BALSAM CANDLE from Bath and Body Works. You know I love this candle. I think I mentioned it over 50 times last December. K. Maybe not 50 times, but a lot. I’ve had it burning this year since mid November. I picked up several after Christmas last year when they went on sale. :)
Last year I gave them out as gifts and just last week I received a sweet e-mail from a blog reader. Here is her testimonial about my beloved candle:
I just had to send you a huge THANK YOU for introducing me to the BEST CANDLE EVER. I am not a candle person but every year I just kept reading about your love for the Bath and Body Works Fresh Balsam candle…..this year when I went shopping they had them 50% off (only $10) so I gave it a try. We have literally burned the candle every day since it was received. My husband even loves it. I love that it fills my house with the smell of chopping down my own Christmas Tree.
:)
KEY FOB – Love this. Comes in all different styles and is so handy for holding and finding your keys in your purse. It comes in especially handy if you have little ones you are constantly carrying and loading in and out of the car. I never lose my keys anymore!
Pajamas! I’m not linking to any specific pair (these are some from J Crew my mom bought me and my sister and sister in law for this December). I just had to include pajamas in my favorites list because I love a good pair of pajamas. Who doesn’t!? I said to Kenny once “it drives me crazy how our girls put on their pj’s the second we’re home and then if we leave the house again I have to get them dressed.” He answered “where do you think they get that from?”
Uggs can be a bit pricey so if you want a great pair of house shoes that don’t cost a fortune try Dearfoams. Same look and so soft. My mom just gave me these with the pj’s and they are just as comfy as the Uggs! (I think she got them at Costco.) They just have a soft sole vs. a hard one. Both pairs are so soft and warm!
I also love my Gap house shoes I’ve had for a few years. I couldn’t find these at Gap this year, but they have similar fun ones at Old Navy. A girl can never have too many shoes and house shoes are no exception! :)
POPCORNOPOLIS – Have you tried this popcorn? The “Zebra” flavor? Oh. My. Word. It is so delicious! And dangerous! I can go through this stuff so fast. It never lasts long around here. One of my favorite treats for sure. I picked up these fun packages of four flavors at Costco and this is what we are giving friends and neighbors this year. (So friends and neighbors who are reading – one is coming your way soon.) :) You should see these piled up in my garage right now. It’s all I can do to not sneak into them and bust out the Zebra bag! (Wonder if anyone would notice?) :) If you wanted to spend a little more for someone, a fun gift idea is to add movie tickets with the popcorn.
MARTHA STEWART OFFICE SUPPLIES. I know. I’ve mentioned them enough. But everyone is in the “time to get organized” mind set in January so I think fun organizers like these labels make a great Christmas gift. Any organizer would actually make a great Christmas gift. You can check out my “oh the organizers” post for more ideas in that beloved category. :)
WILLIAMS-SONOMA DISHCLOTHS. I love them. They are by far my favorite dishcloths. They are $10 for a pack of four and they hold up so well. Just today I went to Williams-Sonoma and bought five sets of them for gifts. I had them wrapped with my favorite OXO dish scrubber I mentioned yesterday. I’m giving them to my girls’ teachers and a few other people. Maybe dishcloths and a dish scrubber aren’t all that glamorous, but everyone can use them! They come in so many fun colors. I am always drawn to the yellow and green. I’m also drawn to Williams-Sonoma because they gift wrap them for you. Love that! Another favorite thing. :)
PROJECT LIFE. I can’t have a favorites list and not include Project Life scrapbooking supplies! Makes scrapbooking so much more doable. You can check out my Project Life posts to see how I’ve used these kits for my kids’ albums. If you aren’t familiar with Project Life albums, kits, and accessories you can learn more on Becky’s blog. I have had to take a break from scrapbooking for this phase in my life, but I know it won’t last long. :)
And last but not least, you all know how much I love a good magazine. Last year for a friend’s birthday I gave her a few good magazines and a pedicure gift card. She loved it!
CRATE and BARREL’S NON SLIP CUTTING BOARD WITH COLANDER. I love having the drainer and cutting board all in one. I mostly use this to clean and chop up strawberries (we eat a lot of strawberries around here) and other fruit. I love the green. It makes me happy. :)
WILLIAMS SONOMA MIXING BOWLS. This is actually a set of three but one of them was dirty and in the dishwasher when I took this picture. I was too lazy to wash it first. :) These mixing bowls and cups and spoons are my absolute favorite. I use them to make EVERYTHING. The bowls are rubber on the bottom so they stay put on your counter and one of the three sizes is perfect for making just about anything. I gave these as gifts one year to Kenny’s sister in law and grandma and they have raved about them ever since! I bought mine a few years ago and it looks like now they come in sets of four in fun colors. You won’t regret buying these! I love them.
OXO PIZZA CUTTER and OXO GARLIC PRESS – my two favorite kitchen tools. The pizza cutter I use ALL the time. Embarrassing how much I use it really. (Lean Cuisine Pizzas are my favorite dinner). I don’t use the garlic press as often, but every time I do use it I’m amazed at how well it works. I’ve had both of these for over 10 years and they are still in great shape! OXO is such an impressive brand.
And last but certainly not least, my OXO LETTUCE SPINNER. I make a lot of salads so we use this often. This baby gets our lettuce so clean! Plus it’s incredibly fun to spin. The girls and I fight over who gets to do it first.
CROC FLAT IRON – While my curling iron is cheap, I spend a little more on my straight irons. Croc is my favorite brand and I have had the one pictured above for years. Great quality – makes your hair so straight and smooth. If it weren’t for the darn humidity around here I’d use this baby a lot more. I use it often for Ellie though and can’t say enough good things about it. My mom has given me a new CROC straight iron several times for Christmas over the years. It’s a fun gift.
CROC IRON COMB – I am SO in love with my iron comb you guys! Have you ever used one? It is THE BEST comb to use when you are straightening your hair. You slide the flat part into your hair and then comb as you are straightening with the straight iron. Does that make sense? Maybe another vlog to explain? :) It helps get your hair super straight. If you already have straight hair you can do without this, but if you have thick hair with natural wave/curl, this comb is the best – such a great tool for straightening hair. I’ve given them as gifts many times!
ENJOY STRAIGHTENER – While we’re on the subject of hair… you know how much I LOVE my Enjoy hair straightener. If I’m straightening my hair I rub a little Enjoy on my hair while it’s wet. Blow dry. Then use my CROC comb and straight iron to straighten my hair. Then I rub a little Moroccan Oil (mentioned yesterday) to add shine and keep it straight. I use the Enjoy when I’m doing my hair curly too (and I use it often on Addison’s hair) so it works for straight or curly hair. I’ve given it for gifts many times and now my friends love it too!
The rest of these items I mentioned in my favorite make-up post so if you want to read more about them you can do that here. This is all make-up that would work for anyone and I’ve given most of these as gifts to my mom, sister, and mother-in-law.
PAINTERLY by MAC. The perfect foundation for your eyelids to make eye shadow stay on and not crease.
MAYBELINE DEFINE-A-LASH MASCARA – shared it in my last post. Combine this with an eyelash curler above and you will have LONG eyelashes.
BOBBI BROWN HIGH SHIMMER LIP GLOSS – this is pricey for lip gloss so I don’t buy it myself, but it shows up in my stocking every year. I’ve trained Santa well. :) It looks beautiful over any lipstick.
NATURAL ICE cherry chap stick. This I’ve been getting in my stocking since I was a little girl. My girls love this for chapped lips too.
So there are a few of my favorite go-to’s for kitchen and make-up that I think would make fun gifts. I’ll be back tomorrow to share a few more. :)
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