My Little Secret...

I have a little secret. And it's under my sink.....

For years I have carried a handled organizing tub around from bathroom to bathroom to clean. It was filled with a ton of cleaning products, most of which, I didn't even use.

Then I smartened up and decided to put one small basket in each bathroom, under the sink, and eliminate products that aren't necessary.

Small. Simple. Clean.

No more carrying that tub of cleaning stuff up and down the stairs.
Not to mention the toilet brush! (Enter BIG yucky face here.)


In each basket, in each bathroom:
- A roll of Paper Towels
- Glass Cleaner
- Tub Cleaner
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- Disinfecting Wipes

(My Bathroom)

 (Upstairs Bathroom)

 (Guest Bathroom)


And beside each basket, under each sink, is a toilet brush!

Why on earth has it not occurred to me to do this years ago???? (I have no idea.)
I DO know that it's a lot easier cleaning my bathrooms now!!!

Happy Scrubbing!

A Week With Gramma and Papa...

My parents were able to visit a few weeks ago. We just love when they come!

(And not just because we don't have to make the 12 hour drive!)

The week before they came, we were busy clearing out the play room to make a guest bedroom.

And here's the Guest Bedroom now....

We had lots of fun with Gramma and Papa!

Lots of time playing....

(I never take enough pictures)

Lots of shopping.....

(Papa's Little Hindrance Helper)

Lots of working....

(Some vacation, right Dad?)

(That's right!! You just got a SNEAK PEEK at my new pantry!!!!!

More on that soon!)

But most of all.....

LOTS of TIME with Gramma and Papa!

Dear Gramma and Papa,

Thank you for our Build-a-Bear prizes. We still love them!!!!

We can't wait to see you again soon!

Love,

Reese and Graham

Bye-Bye Play Room

Bye-bye play room, HELLO sanity!

For most of the Play Room's existence.....

it has looked something like this...

and rarely, after a frustrated Mommy finally cleans it, you could find it like this....

(I love the vacuum streaks!)

And then what seems like 2 minutes later...

(Look at her, sitting there, looking so innocent!!!!)

So my brilliant plan (and so far, it HAS been brilliant) was to 'tone down' the toys and therefore eliminating the constant mess.

I decided to forgo my extra storage space in the upstairs hall closet in hopes that it would hold toys and be a mini play area.

'Cause what Mommy needs a big closet for junk when she has a basement? ;)

And what children need a room, bursting with toys, that they can't pick up?

(Besides, now Gramma and Papa have a place to stay!)

Before:

Nada. Zilch. Nothin' stayed in that closet!!!!

During:

Now:

And Mommy's favorite toy? The label maker!

And soon....

Ridiculous loooooooong shelf and hanging rack will be removed;

New shelves installed;

Re-organizing (cause I just can't do it enough).

Dear Dad,

When you're visiting this week, would you mind installing some shelves. I know we talked about doing a pantry... but, I was thinking, while you're in the mode maybe you could do another closet???

Love,

Daughter

P.S. Free haircut and dinners in return! 

XOXO

Wednesday Weekly- Clothes for the week

Taking 15 minutes out of your weekend, to pick out clothes for the week, can save much frustration in your weekly morning routine!

I hung a hanging divider in my daughter's closet. It has 6 cubes, each one I fill with her clothes for the week. Monday is at the top, followed by Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday dresses I keep hung on hangers.

In the wee hours of the morning, there is no question (or arguments) of what to wear. She starts at the top and works her way down everyday.

Each cube holds her top/sweater, skirt/jumper or pants, socks/tights and hair bow that she will wear that day. She wears uniforms to school so I include an undershirt and bike shorts when required. (I take time to fold the clothes nicely so there are no wrinkles to iron out on those busy mornings.)

Hope this can help your weekly routine go smoother!

31 Days of Things I've Been Wanting to Do, Day 11: Clothes Exchange

Do you hate the feeling of standing at your child's closet, staring at all the summer clothes that still fit, but realizing it's October and you only have a few things to keep them warm?
This post is to help you enjoy the changing seasons, instead of  being burdened with the need to run out and buy a whole wardrobe!
Okay, to be honest with you, I haven't had to 'run out' and buy an entire wardrobe in my daughter's 6 years and my son's 2 years. Yes, my kids are very blessed (and somewhat spoiled) by Grandma's that like to buy them clothes. But the real reason is planning ahead.

Under each of my kids beds, you will find two plastic, lidded boxes.

One we call their 'Special Box'. This was an idea I brought from my parents house. When I was growing up, anything that was important and should be saved, went into my 'Special Box'. For example, the newspaper from the day I was born, a baby bottle I used, my High School Diploma, etc. (And, yes, I still have it.) You will find the same type of things in my kids boxes: Coming home from the hospital outfits, first coloring page, hospital bracelets, first lost tooth etc.) A box insures that you are not saving anything that isn't very important (as space is limited).

The other box, under their bed, is their "Clothes to Wear" box. I have a buying system that I do at the end of every season. For example, right now is a great time to buy summer clothes. Reese is about to turn 6, so I've been buying size 7 summer clothes for her. Graham turned 2 this past July so I have been buying size 3T summer clothes for him for next year.

Here is what Graham's 'Clothes to Wear' box looked like before I unpacked his 2T winter clothes for this year (that I bought this past spring).

Dressy clothes for Church are usually the most expensive things I have to buy for the kids. So, stocking up on long sleeved collared shirts and sweater vests for Graham, saves me money! And to be quite honest, it's a thrill to open this box at the beginning of a season and have an instant wardrobe! (And I get to reminisce about all the good buys I got by shopping early!)

 Here's a price run down for some of the items pictured above:
Crazy 8 Brown Corduroy Pants- $3.99, Blue Fleece Pants- $2.99
Sears Gray Cargo Pants- $2.99, Black Casual Pants- $2.99
Gymboree White Sweater- $4.99, Gray Tweed Dress Pants- $4.99, Black Corduroy Pants- $4.99, Gray, Black and Blue Argyle Sweater Vest- $4.99, Gray Blazer- $4.99
Children's Place Black and Khaki Collared Shirt and Sweater Vest- $2.99 each
Wal-Mart Snowman PJ's- $2.50
Old Navy Truck PJ's- $1.49
(Please note that all of these items we purchased months ago and they may not be available in the stores.)

Don't forget to 'after-holiday-shop' too! Buy clearanced holiday clothes items a week after the holiday and get great buys for the next years' seasonal wear!

We have lots of 'systems' in our house. (It keeps Mommy sane.) In addition to the 'Clothes to wear box' system, the garage sale box system, the kids storage box system, holiday storage system, wrapping paper system etc.... 
Don't worry, I have a closet system too.....

Everything has a place and everything in it's place. (Unless it is being played with, of course).

Here's a break down....

I'm a 'stocker-up-er' when it comes to diapers and wipes so I put them up high, out of the way, but not in a place that I forget I have them. (Because I have made a mid-night run for diapers only to find a package of them the next day. A "Oh, I forgot I put those there!!" moment.)

I could easily drive myself crazy with the amount of trips I take to the basement every week! To prevent having to take down only one article of clothing at a time, I have a basket.

When something is too small and needs to go in either storage or a garage sale box, I toss it in the basket. When the basket is full, I take it down and put it away.

Graham's nicer, collared shirts are hanging together with the sweater vests in the front. I don't take out clothes just because they are not in season. For example, right now, his short sleeved shirts are pushed to the back. I'm hoping that some will fit next year, at the beginning of the summer. And if they don't, to the storage basket they will go. :)

I rotate and re-organize his toys just as much as I do his clothes. He doesn't have EVERY single toy that he owns available for him to play with. By rotating them, he learns to play with different things and his toys don't become 'boring'.



I encourage you to start shopping ahead. It will seem like just 'money out of the pocket' right now, but when you can pull out brand new clothes when you need them, you'll be glad you did!

31 Days of Things I've Been Wanting to Do, Day 5: Computer Cabinet

"Clean Out and Spruce Up" was my theme for this small project. Something I've Been Wanting to Do... that was free (other than the small green organizers previously bought, but not using anywhere else) and it didn't take long to finish.

We bought a computer cabinet shortly after our move to Indiana. We had just bought our first house.....

and needed furniture! I'm thinking we got it at Wal-Mart? And definitely didn't pay more than $100. Joel spent an afternoon putting it together, and over 6 years, 1 move and 2 kids later, we are still using it!

It's a common place I visit. It holds our desk top computer, printer, file cabinet, the kids baby books, my scrapbooks and my day planner. With all the traffic, it tends to be a place that can get cluttered easily. I'm tempted to buy our next computer cabinet without doors so I don't have an excuse to hide the inside. :)

Not too cluttered but there was definitely a pile or two to be sorted, put away or thown out, and all together spruced up!

I already had a green CD box and a green basket to use to help organize. I also got inspiration from my bathroom lamp.....

and from my entry lamp (both I purchased at Pier 1).

I used hot glue to apply an old green flower pin onto my desk lamp.

and wa-la! Spruced and organized.