Erin, Author at The Sunny Side Up Blog

Organization

06.05.14

Time Management Binder (revised!)

Sharing my updated Time Management binder today! I know the beginning of summer is an unusual time to put together a time management binder. Should be time to toss all binders and planners out the window! (Of course if you’re a planner like me that never sounds very fun.) :) I actually think this time of year is a great time to get organized. Hectic school year schedules wind down and for a lot of families there will be more time spent together at home. I love that about summer. It’s a perfect opportunity to purge and get rid of things you don’t need. I am especially looking forward to cleaning and organizing my office so that come Fall we are running like a well organized machine!

I loved my previous time management binder but felt like it could use a little refreshing! You might remember this aqua binder I’ve had for a couple of years. (Martha Stewart collection at Staples.)

It used to organize all of my cabinet/built-in/closet sketches for the new house.

I filed away the new house stuff and switched out the colorful tabs for these plastic pocket dividers. I just love dividers with pockets. Aren’t they fun!? Do they make you as happy as they make me? If I ever feel stressed or sad I just head to Staples and wander up and down the isles looking at all the different folders and pocket dividers. Before long, I’m happy again. My own personal upper. :)

On Instagram I mentioned going crazy with my label maker one morning.

Nothing in my house was safe! #everythingisbetterwithalabel

You can find my label maker here. I adore it! Kenny gave it to me for Valentines one year.

He clearly knows the way to my heart. :)

I divided my binder into categories that make the most sense for me.

Things I’m always working on!

(I use a separate planner for my schedule but you could include that in the binder too.)

I keep IMPORTANT PAPERS in the binder pocket. I covered them up with a sheet of paper for this post because most of these papers include personal information. I love having this pocket to hold anything I need to remember/work on. It’s always right in front of me!

My first category is just blank paper for TO-DO’s. I’ve used lots of fancy printables, planners, and lists in the past for my to-do’s but I’ve learned that what works best for me is just a running list on plain paper that I can cross off as I complete things. I always need a place dump my brain! This list is never too crazy long because I have the other categories for breaking down things I’d like to get to at some point. This page is just for the day to day immediate to-do’s. Phone calls to make, e-mails to send, things to get done that day. The paper I’m using (also Martha Stewart collection) has an edge that tears off. I use this to write my grocery list. Then when I’m going to the grocery store I can just tear it off and I don’t have to take the whole binder or to-do list with me.

I also still use my sticky tabs that I shared in my previous time management binder post. (Sticky tabs are right up there with pocket dividers for me – love them!) Whenever I need to buy a lot from various stores I get out the sticky tabs and place them all on one paper. Then I can just grab the note I need when I’m heading to a specific store.

The next tab is for my BLOG where I keep a list of post ideas/plans (I have pages and pages!) and a calendar that I need to schedule posts on but can’t quite ever make happen. We’ll see if this new binder inspires a little post scheduling. :)

The next tab is a favorite! ORGANIZE. I keep my “to-organize” lists in this category and turn to it often to see what I need to be working on next. (I wrote a post on making an effective “to organize” list here.)

My DECORATE tab holds some current inspiration pics in the folder.

And then I keep running lists of things I’m working on around the house. I have so many fun things to show you all! Coming soon to a blog near you. :)

The next tab is labeled HOUSE and it currently just holds a few receipts, bills, and sketches for the yard we are working on. This spot is for anything house related that isn’t decorating.

The CHURCH tab holds everything I need for my current calling in our church. I’m the secretary of our Young Women program which means I’m in charge of all things scheduling and calendar. Up my alley much? :)

These girls have so much going on! I created this calendar on-line in January and made copies for all of the leaders. Now when I send out my weekly e-mail updates of what’s going on for the girls it’s so easy. All right in front of me.

The KIDS category of my binder is usually over flowing and I have to clean it out the most. I try to only keep what I really need at the moment in this binder and everything else for the kids gets filed in my office.

And yes! I have a tab for CHRISTMAS! I can’t help it. I love to stash away ideas for the holiday season all year long. Aside from inspirational decorating pics I also keep a list that I write after Christmas each year of things I want to do better for the following year. Things like “order Christmas cards in JULY so I’m not stressed about them in November!” Better get on that. :)

So that’s it! Obviously this binder is custom for me and my needs, but hopefully it still gave you some ideas for how you could make something like this work for you. You can also see my previous Time Management Binder for a few more ideas. So happy to have a place to dump everything on my mind and keep it all organized in one place.

p.s. Here’s a quick shot of what my Time Management Binder currently looks like. Kole got a hold of it and added some bling. It entertained him for 15 minutes straight which is pure gold around here so I certainly wasn’t going to stop him.

Happy summer organizing!

xoxo, Erin

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06.02.14

Dear May,

I remember a time when I used to love you.

With your sunshine and green grass and promise of summer.

But now I have three school-age kids.

And my feelings for you have changed.

You make me feel stressed and tired and the worst?

Unorganized.

So happy you are behind me.

Sincerely but not truly yours,

Erin

xoxo, Erin

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Organization

05.29.14

Organized art caddy

Summertime. Are you feeling it? That smell in the air? That’s most likely a neighbors BBQ that you’re wishing was yours?

I shared this pic on Instagram today. Poolside watching the kids swim with my HGTV magazine in hand. The last two days have been such a non-stop whirlwind of activities that it felt wonderful to sit down and relax this afternoon. The whole 20 minutes of it until Kole decided he was done with the pool and needed food immediately. :) But I could taste summertime for those 20 minutes! Hearing my kids laugh and splash around in the water while reading about the “not so stuffy way to style shelves.” (Vary the heights of your decor – that’s key.) See how much I learned. In just 20 minutes of down time.

Because summer is quickly approaching (wonderful smells and all) I’ve been thinking about a lot of things I want to do to get ready. Time to prep for those sometimes loooong days with the kids home!

I found this wooden bottle caddy at World Market and it was love at first sight.

All of those dividers! So many organizing options!

I immediately thought of our stash of art supplies.

And how I would love to have them organized and out in the open during the summer.

Easy access for the kids!

Now they can create on a whim.

And then put everything back in its place when they’re finished.

Summertime is starting to smell even sweeter.

xoxo, Erin

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05.27.14

Teacher Gift Ideas

I hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Day weekend! I love Memorial Day. So grateful for such a special holiday to remember and honor everyone who has served and continues to serve our country. We had a low key family weekend at home which was just what the doctor ordered around here. :) I know some of you are finishing up school this week (jealous!) but for those of you who have a few weeks left like we do I thought I’d share a few ideas for teacher gifts. I received a lot of really sweet gifts over the six years I taught school, but I will promise you that the gifts I remember most and still have to this day are the kind letters my students and their parents wrote me. Nothing beats a sincere heartfelt handwritten letter. I love to go back and read them. Some of them still bring tears to my eyes. So we’ll be writing letters for all of my kids’ teachers for sure! But it’s also fun to give a little something with our letters. Here are a few things I’ve done in past years…

Last year we gave teachers a cup from Jamba Juice with a gift card inside of it. I got the idea from Tatertots and Jello. She also has the “creative juices” tag you can use. Such a cute idea!

The year before that I put together a fun gift for summer. I always try to think of what I would like for a gift. You can’t go wrong with sunscreen and a towel and the People Style Watch issue. Perfect accessories for a day at the beach or pool!

I just rolled the towels up and wrapped the magazine around them and tied it all with a bow. SO simple. (I’ve also given a gift card to get a pedicure with a fun magazine and that gift is also always a hit!)

For years when we’ve had to give gifts to lots of teachers (we are in this camp this year with all of my little buddy’s pre-school teachers, aids, and therapists) I’ve always made a homemade treat with a personalized tag.

(You all know I really just share this idea each year so that I have an excuse to post these old pics of my cookie making helpers) :)

I highly recommend hiring a cookie watcher if you don’t already have one on hand.

Buy some inexpensive plates and wrap up the treat with your personalized tag. Done!

Here are a few other ideas I found on-line that I thought would be fun…

{via}

This is technically to give to teachers at the beginning of the year, but switch a few words around and you could give it to them at the end. Another great idea if you are giving to a lot of teachers.

{via}

This might just be the smartest teacher gift idea I’ve seen yet.

Can’t go wrong with a gift card to Tarjet! And such a fun way to wrap it up.

{via}

I thought this was a cute, simple idea too. You could put any treat in a jar with a “you’re the sweetest” card. Especially fun if you know your child’s teacher’s favorite treat. My students always knew my favorite treats. And my favorite hobbies and my favorite movies and my favorite quotes and my favorite subjects and my favorite future baby names…. Some of us are a bit more of an open book than others. :)

{via}

Teachers can never have enough white erase markers (or any other school supply for that matter). Fun way to present them.

{via}

Creative way to wrap up some cookies.

{via}

And how creative is this idea!? You could do this with all sorts of pasta meals. Possibilities are endless!

Well. Now I’m inspired to get our teacher gifts ready to give!

Hope you are too.

xoxo, Erin

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05.22.14

Baskets with labels

Oh my word. Is May the craziest month or what!? Am I the only one floundering this month? My friends and I always talk about how the end of the school year starts to feel like December/Christmas in terms of how insanely busy it is. Non-stop right up until the last day of school. My kids still have a few weeks to go so I’m hanging on! By a very thin thread.

But let’s not talk about May. Or busyness. Or thin threads.

Let’s talk about something fun.

Like baskets.

Wanna know what’s even more fun than talking about baskets?

Talking about baskets with labels on them. :)

I received this sweet comment on my last post:

Looks great!! Did I miss the post about the baskets under the coffee table?? Please share!! They are exactly what I’ve been looking for for mine :) Adore your home and your blog!!

(Thank you for that!) Since I aim to please (and because you don’t have to twist my arm to chat about organizing with baskets) here is a post on my coffee table baskets.

I actually bought these baskets to go in my office. They are the Cameron Wire Baskets from Pottery Barn. I wanted two of them and thought that was what I ordered on-line but didn’t realize that they come in sets of two (note to self: next time notice when it says “comes in sets of 2”). So by ordering two I ended up with four.

That was a happy mistake. :)

I felt it was meant to be.

LOVE the baskets but they are really long. They didn’t work in my office. Or my pantry. Or my laundry room. Or anywhere else I tried to put them. So I decided to try them out under my coffee table holding my never ending magazine stash.

Oh for the love of labels. Aren’t they beautiful!? I haven’t written on them yet because I’m not 100% sure this is their final resting place. I’m having too much fun moving them around and organizing different things with them.

But under the coffee table holding magazines is working for now.

Do you love organizing with baskets too?

How could you not?

There now. A few pics of my labeled baskets and I’ve forgotten all about crazy May.

And everything else I was supposed to get done tonight.

Imagine that.

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

05.20.14

Family Room drapes/pillows

I took some new pictures of our family room two weeks ago and just haven’t had time to share them. Our drapes finally came! And pillows! Most of them anyway.

Ignore the shelves. They are a hot mess in these pictures! Still haven’t got around to styling them yet. But so fun to have drapes in this room! I’ve never had drapes before and I’ll admit I was really nervous about how these would look.

I chose a black rod to match the door hardware. I was tempted to bring in some color with the drapes, but just couldn’t commit to anything! I knew I wouldn’t be changing them out anytime soon so I decided to keep them more of a neutral.

I love a good geometric print. :)

We only close them at night but it makes the family room feel so nice and cozy! Love that.

They add a lot of warmth to the space.

Here are the couch pillows I had made…

The pillows are all blue and grey (love the fabrics!) but I have two more coming in a different color (one more for the couch and one for the striped chair). I have played around with a lot of different colors for this space and was having a hard time deciding what would compliment the blues the best.

I considered orange. But I’ve never loved orange.

Then I thought maybe yellow. But I used yellow in the dining room and want to mix it up.

So I finally decided on coral! Coral is such a fun, fresh color to decorate with and I think it will be exactly what I need to liven things up in these main rooms! I’ll show you my coral additions to the room as soon as I get everything figured out.

For now I am really enjoying a calm color palate in this space.

I’m so happy to be done with all the big decisions/purchases for this room. Now I can just accessorize which is what I enjoy the most! Tempted to take everything off those shelves and start this second! But it’s almost midnight so maybe I’ll get some sleep first and tackle them tomorrow.

xoxo, Erin

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05.18.14

Popping in (fire update)

So grateful that things have calmed down in our neck of the woods. Our mild weather is back and the fires are under control. But so heartbreaking to see the damage done. I spent some time today rounding up things to donate to a family who lost their home. Can you imagine having your house burned to the ground? Just completely gone. Starting over with absolutely nothing. So incredibly hard. I really feel for everyone in that situation. If you are interested in helping too you can google ‘ways to help with the San Diego fires’ and several fundraisers, etc. will pop up. It’s always amazing to me how communities rally together to help in situations like this. There are so many wonderful people in this world!

xx
Erin

xoxo, Erin

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05.16.14

#Instagram

Hi friends! Well. I was hoping to have time to finish the post I’m working on but with kids home from school all day computer time never came. We were busy after all. As you can see…

A note from us this morning I shared on Instagram: Almost 10:00 and we’re still in pj’s. Ad taught us a rap to The Big Bad Wolf and we had chocolate chips for dessert after breakfast. So far our “California snow day” is off to a good start. :) #wannaberockstars

We really did waste a good deal of the morning singing and dancing in our pajamas. And eating chocolate. It’s a good thing Kole had therapy at 1:00 because it forced us to get dressed and join the rest of the world.

Thank you btw for all the sweet comments on my blog and Facebook. Your thoughts and prayers for everyone in this area mean a lot to me. They really do. We still haven’t been evacuated in our neck of the woods and are just all nervous and glued to the news hoping they can get these fires under control soon. Kole keeps saying “are you watching your fire show again mommy?” like it’s an episode of Dino Dan. :) By Saturday our crazy Santa Ana weather/wind is supposed to be gone and we will be back to our typical 70 degrees so we are all hoping that helps. It really is scary and incredibly heartbreaking to see so much of our surrounding areas in flames. School is closed again tomorrow so it looks like it’s another pajama day for us! Speaking of pajamas…

This is another pic I shared last week of my girls. “Nothing like pj’s and a blanket picnic on a random Wednesday afternoon.” #adandel

I finally decided a couple of weeks ago to enter the year 2014 and join Instagram! I held off as long as I could in a desperate attempt to avoid the temptation of spending more time on my iphone. But our days are so hectic and I just don’t have the time I wish I had to share random life moments/tidbits on the blog. So I’m going to give this a try. :)

“My little boyfriend’s first swim lesson! All smiles. Quickly followed by all tears once he went under. Baby steps. #mylittleman (So glad I’m not teaching him to swim. He’d cry and I’d hug him and never make him go under again and we’d get nowhere. This kid has me SO wrapped.) :)

“Me and my hot date at the ball game last night.” #gopadres!

If you want to see what we’re up to you can follow me on Instagram at erin_sunnysideup. I’ll also update Instagram photos to Facebook so you can follow me there if you aren’t already. And at some point in the near future I’ll have a way for you to subscribe to get my blog posts through e-mail. But whoa. One thing at a time. Baby steps for me too. :) Hoping to share lots of fun organizing and decorating projects that are in the works around the house on Instagram too! Not just pics of us in our pajamas. Although if you know us well it goes without saying that there will be a lot of those too. :)

#idon’treallyknowwhatI’mdoingoninstagrambutI’mreallygoodatfakingit.

Happy Friday everyone!

xoxo, Erin

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05.15.14

San Diego Fires

Hi friends! I’m working on a post but keep getting distracted watching our news. With eight fires burning in our city the past few days have been eventful to say the least. I always get nervous when these Santa Ana winds come our way. They are never a good thing! So many of our friends have been evacuated and schools are all closed tomorrow. Praying they can get these fires contained soon. I’m rounding up a few things just in case, but hopefully tomorrow will just be a pajama day for us. So strange to have the kids home on a random Thursday! Southern California’s version of a snow day. :)

If the fires have slowed down and I can get my girls to entertain Kole for a few minutes tomorrow I’ll be popping back in! Keep San Diego in your thoughts today! And hug your kids. Because that’s what I always tend to do when slightly stressful situations pop up.

xoxo, Erin

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Parenting

05.14.14

Ziti Lasagna

So I decided to make Ziti Lasagna last week one night for dinner. It’s always a hit with my kids and I was in the mood for an easy dinner. And by easy I mean something I can get my kids to eat without having to commit Guerrilla warfare. That didn’t really make sense but I’m sure you can all assume what I’m talking about. And since this is such an easy recipe (I haven’t ever messed it up which means it’s really easy – like beyond easy) I thought I’d share it with all of you.

{INGREDIENTS}

1 box of pasta noodles. (This is Ziti lasagna so in theory you should use Ziti. I had Mostaccioli on hand so I used that instead. Still tastes the same. It’s that whole ‘you can’t mess this one up’ thing. Which is why it’s a favorite of mine.)

1 bottle of Prego Sauce

15 oz. jar ricotta cheese

Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

I know – it’s a lot of cheese. I told you this was an easy to make kid favorite. Not an easy to make nutritionist’s favorite. Weight watcher points not included. You can assume what you want. And then double that.

Sidenote: Doesn’t my new scale make an excellent prop for this picture!? I’ll have to let my husband know it has multiple uses aside from just weighing our food. He’ll be thrilled I’m sure.

{INSTRUCTIONS}

Mostly cook a box of Ziti noodles

Stir in a separate bowl:

Mostly cooked noodles

15 oz. jar ricotta cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese

2 handfuls parmesan cheese

In a 9×13 pan layer:

1/2 jar Prego sauce

cheese/noodle mixture

rest of Prego sauce

more mozzarella and parmesan cheese

Here it is right before I put tin foil over it to cook.

Cover loosely and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Uncover at the end and let the cheese bubble on top and in the middle

And here it is 30 minutes later ready to eat!

I could have cooked it a bit longer to let the cheese melt and bubble more but we were reaching “the witching hour.” Moms – you know what I mean. That lovely hour at the end of the day when patience is wearing thin and everyone is getting hungry and tired. And you just know that if you don’t feed and get those kids in bed STAT bad things are about to happen.

But Ziti lasagna makes everyone smile again. Throw together a quick salad or vegetable or french bread to go with it. Kids are fed and happy. Mom is fed and happy. All is well.

Until the next day when you step on the scale.

**For more recipes that I would love to try if I had more time and actually knew how to cook check out my FOOD AND RECIPE Pinterest board here.

Bon Appetit!

xoxo, Erin

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Organization

05.12.14

Top three things to keep organized

You all know how much I love to feel organized. Nothing makes me happier than perfectly lined up towels in a linen closet, toys in their properly labeled cubbies, and a smooth running schedule. BUT. Staying on top of everything all of the time is unrealistic. Especially if you have little ones underfoot. Or a husband who doesn’t quite share the joy of perfectly lined up towels in a linen closet. (How could he not!?) In my quest to stay organized (especially when I’m having an off week – or two or three) there are a few things I make sure to stay on top of. I’ve found that for me, if I can keep these three things under control I feel like I’m organized and am better able to face the busy day.

1} CLEAN PURSE

The number one thing I have to keep organized is my purse. It can become a dumping ground quickly if I’m not careful. I clean out my purse at least once every other day. There is always 5 minutes when I am waiting for an appointment to start, waiting in the carpool lane at pick up, etc. That is when I take a minute to toss trash, write down receipts, and get my purse back in order.

I always keep two things in my purse that especially help me keep it organized.

One is my Martha Stewart accordion file.

You can see I have a place for coupons, gift cards, stamp cards, reward cards, business cards, random pic/notes, and receipts I want to hang on to. This system has worked well for me for years!

Folds up nice and slim to fit in my purse!

Another Martha Stewart favorite I keep in my purse is this little zipper pouch. Perfect for all of those loose ends that can get lost. (I bought both of these items at Staples but obviously any file and small pouch would work!)

I always keep lots of lip gloss and chap stick with me. Along with floss or toothpicks, mini scissors and nail clippers. Can’t begin to tell you how handy these things have been! With my kids I’m always needing to snip or clip something and I love having floss or toothpicks when I’m running from place to place after lunch. The best part is that when I need one of these things it’s so easy to reach for the pouch vs. trying to hunt for my lip gloss in a big bottomless purse.

2} ORGANIZED INBOX

The other thing I strive to stay on top of is my inbox. I start to feel overwhelmed quickly when my inbox is flooded with e-mails. Then I forget to RSVP to a birthday party or to answer a question someone is waiting on or to put an important date on my calendar. No good comes from a flooded inbox! I finally came up with a folder system that has worked so well for me and I’m happy to say that I have been able to stay on top of my e-mails. (You can read about my 3 steps for getting my inbox under control here.)

3} CLEAN KITCHEN COUNTERS

My house may be in complete disarray but as long as I keep my kitchen counters clear I feel like my home is organized. If my counters are a mess my brain doesn’t function as well. Every night (and several times throughout the day) I completely clean my kitchen counters.

I try to keep dishes loaded in the dishwasher, food put away in the fridge/pantry, and everything that shouldn’t be on the counters OFF the counters! This is no easy task! We all know what a dumping ground kitchen counters can become. Having a set place for the kids’ toys, backpacks, homework supplies, etc. helps so that I can keep the counters clean. When my kitchen counters are clear so is my head! I can think so much better and am able to focus on my daily to-do’s without feeling scattered. (Side note **Clean kitchen counters are essential for me because I’m a stay home mom. When I taught school I worked hard to keep my desk clean.)

So that’s it! My top three things I strive daily to keep organized. If I can keep my purse organized, my inbox under control, and my kitchen counters clean each day I feel like I’m on top of things.

Even when I most certainly am not.

xoxo, Erin

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05.09.14

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!

One of my favorite weekends is here! Just wanted to wish all of you moms out there a wonderful mother’s day. I hope you have a weekend full of love and pampering like you all deserve! Bring on the homemade cards. They are my all time favorite. :) So grateful to be a mom to my three peanuts. They wear me out daily, but it’s the most gratifying exhaustion imaginable.