Category

Organization

Tea Time: Cleaning Cupboards

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I love tea! In fact, I love all hot beverages. I am often heating the kettle even in the summer to make some iced tea. When I buy tea, I typically just shove the box in the cupboard, and then forget about what teas I even have. The tea cabinet was the pits, as was the snack cabinet.

 

A mish mash of things that didn’t belong in there. These are the cabinets where I also sometimes hide toys. Don’t judge. This whistle is particularly loud and squeaky and sometimes it has to go in the cabinets when I am on the phone.

 

I first emptied the tea cabinet and the snack cabinet that was overflowing. I did a little switcheroo, and put all the snacks in the old tea cabinet since it is bigger. I found these baskets awhile ago for little things like boxes of raisins and microwave popcorn packages.

 

Once I had enough room for all our snacks, I sat and debated what to do with all stuff that was in the tea cabinet. I first decided to put all the mugs in with our dishes where they belong (even my I Heart Jim Halpert Office mug).

 

They were taking up too much room in a cabinet on there own. Then I thought I should take all the tea out of its boxes to make room. When I surveyed what I had, I thought of the perfect solution.

 

These adorable Threshold jars from Target, are perfect and look adorable on the kitchen counter, but could be stored away if need be too.

Because of all this organization…. I have ended up with an empty cabinet! GASP! I can hardly contain how organized the kitchen feels now. Now time for a some tea and an episode of The Office.

PS I’m linking this post up at Serenity Now today! Check out all the great links at the Weekend Bloggy Reading party.

Getting Crafty with Storage: Creating a Creative Space

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I thought I would break up the Christmas Cheer a bit with some other things that have been going on around here.

 
The kids have always liked doing arts and crafts, but lately with it too cold to play outside some days they seem to be coloring, drawing, play doh-ing, and wanting to craft more often. Caroline is constantly carrying crayons in her purse. Russell asked for some art supplies for his birthday. And even George has been saying, “Let’s do a project! You know, like with a smock.”
Since, I hear this every day, and since pre-school sometimes has homework. I knew I needed to create a space for the kids to do all things creative. I also needed to find a way to store their things that was easy for them to access and put away. I also needed it to be somewhat stylish as I am sick of buying primary colored bins and then trying to hide them in closets.
Here is what I came up with:
I decided to bring back our old kitchen table and chairs that had previously been used in the dining room before Brian and I built a new table. I wasn’t about to buy something new and my kids are growing so fast I didn’t want to use a kid sized table that they won’t be able to use for much longer.
Then, I thought it might be a nice idea to cover the table with some painter’s paper. This doubles as a protective surface for crafting, but also the kids like to draw and color on the paper. I got a partial roll for free from Meema and Peepa.
Next, the inspiration for this project were these galvanized buckets there were on clearance at Target for $1.24. I would have bought more but there were only two left. I thought they were the perfect size for our collection of crayons and storing coloring books and sketchpads.

 

Finally, I have an old canister set that I still love, but just didn’t work in the kitchen. They were too small to really hold any of my baking things like flour etc. but they are the perfect size to hold colored pencils, marker, scissors and glue, and chalk.
I put a lamp on this table for some extra light. Currently this lamp has been relocated because of Christmas decorations, but for now it works.
Finally, next to the table I put an old computer desk I’ve had since my single days. Currently, it sits in the family room waiting for its rightful place in the sub basement to hold scrapbooking supplies, but until the sub-basement is renovated it has served as a great place to store toys and our printer. I emptied it out, and put a small cart of drawers I got from my friend, Colleen. In here I put things that don’t need to be as accessible or need Mom’s help. Paints, paint smocks, play doh, etc. It has also been a wonderful place to store the kids art work that is no longer hung on the art wall.

 

The grand total for this project was $2.48 for the bins at Target. Everything else I had on hand. This has become one of the best spaces. I love that nothing here is expensive, but looks so organized and pretty. I also love the unconventional storage containers. We finally have a place for everything, and the kids have a place to do homework or start a project and be able to leave it out to finish later.
Is there a designated space in your home for crafting or homework?

Spicey: Cabinet Organization

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This time of year, I seem to do more cooking and baking so I thought one of my Pre-Thanksgiving organization frenzy days should be dedicated to kitchen organization. I also stocked up on a few things I know I need on hand like flour, sugar, chocolate chips, and poultry seasoning.

 

 

Here is the cabinet stocked up for the holiday season.

 

When we moved into this house, it came without a pantry so I had to get creative with how I used my cabinet space. I bought a plastic tiered spice rack, some Ikea spice jars, and used my scrapbook skills and tools to make little tags for labeling everything.

 

As for the other shelves, I bought some baskets for around $3 at Target to keep all my baking supplies organized.

 

And let’s not forget the glass jars from Target that I keep on my counter.

 

I am officially ready for a season full of cooking and baking.

Anyone else stocked up for the season?

Linking up at Serenity Now.

A Day in the Life

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As a new blogger, I sometimes am amazed at the work and dedication of other writers. I also struggle with a sense of perfection. In the back of my mind, I do realize that no one is perfect all of the time. However, in the world of blogging, we only get to see the “pretty” things. The beautiful table settings, the painted walls, the fluffed pillows, the beautiful desserts do happen… just not all the time.

No one likes to talk about the sticky floors, the mis matched socks, the chaotic bath time routine, or the piles and piles of laundry.. PILES… everywhere. I digress.

I’m joining a link up today on Adventuroo called “A Week in My Life.” What an eye opener that not everything is perfect for everyone, and I feel like it really helps us all be more understanding and have a sense that we are all in this together. As much as I would love everyone to see the craziness that is my life for an entire week, I wasn’t quite ready for that. So, I decided to just share one day. So here is a day in the life:

7:00 a.m. Snoozed too many times… no workout today oops. Everyone gets ready, and eats a quick breakfast. Brian takes the boys to school.

8:00 a.m. Coco and I stay back so I can make a grocery list, and look up a wedding registry for a gift I need to buy.

9:00 a.m. Off to Target to buy a wedding gift. Then back home to drop off huge wedding gift, and then to the market for groceries. My girl was a little sick of being in the car.

 

11:00 a.m. Leave Target, switch cars with Brian (we have a system so we don’t have to buy another Britax carseat), and pick up boys from school. Since we have a little bit of a drive, I make sure to have snacks and juice boxes for the ride home.
12:00 p.m. – Unload kids, back packs, groceries, clean out fridge, and prepare lunch. Lunch is on the table, and we eat together talking about school.
1:30 p.m. – Naps. My youngest two get tucked in and pass out instantaneously. My oldest has some quiet time while I check some email, and attempt to fold some laundry.
2:00 p.m. – Door bell rings with a package. My oldest takes this as an invitation for quiet time to be over so we play for a little while, then I unload dishwasher and wash my new cutting board.
3:00 p.m. The others wake up and it is snacks and juice and my oldest breaks out the puzzles. Hands me the box for the 1,000 piece puzzle of the ocean. I make a half hearted attempt and then recommend the 24 piece train puzzle hoping that will be more their jam.
4:00 p.m. My gal pal, Colleen calls to chat. Kids play quietly.
5:00 p.m. Dinner prep begins. BBQ Chicken, salad, broccoli and home made mac and cheese. Kids help… sort of.
6:00 p.m. Brian walks in the door, changes, and we talk about his day while I finish up dinner and get plates ready.

6:30 Dinner.

 

 

7:30 p.m. Brian and I clean kitchen and I ask the kids to please pick up toys one more time. This time they quickly pick up cars, dolls, puzzles, knowing if they do a good job they will be rewarded with a show.

8:00 p.m. Kids watch 1/2 an episode of Phineas and Ferb. Jammies, snuggles, book, prayers, bed.

9:00 p.m. Brian and I turn on our DVR’d Thursday shows and simultaneously open our laptops for work and writing.

9:30 p.m. S’mores break. Yep, that just happened.

 

 

11:00 p.m. Good Night.

So there you have it. A day in our life. I swear that laundry will get folded, and I will work on my next blog project.

“So, what’s for dinner?”: Weekly Menu Planning

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This is the last week of Mom of 6’s Organize Your Life Bootcamp. This week’s focus is getting ahead of the game with menu planning.

In the past, I would usually only plan for a week’s worth of dinners, but then as we had children and I started to make my own baby food, I realized that I might have to do more planning than that. So as time went on, I started to plan for every meal for the week. At first, I was writing my list of meals down in a notebook with a my grocery list, but I thought it would be nice to have something I could display on the side of the fridge.

A few months ago, I found this great FREE printable on Jenny Collier’s blog.

 

As I mentioned last week, Brian and I sit down on talk about what we have going on for the week and sync up our calendars. Once this is done, I turn on another sitcom and plan out our weekly menu. With the help of my cook books, Pinterest, and Brian letting me know what he has a taste for, I plan for every single meal including snacks.

As I make the grocery list, I check the cabinets and fridge and make sure to jot down anything that we don’t already have. I typically try to go shopping when the boys are at school, and it is just me and Coco. Which usually ends up being in the middle of the week. I like this schedule as I don’t have to set foot in store on the weekends, and it is much quicker to only shop with one kid as opposed to three.

 

Some things worth mentioning:

 

  • Planning out a week or two in advance helps save money as I only buy what we need.
  • On the weekly menu planner, I plan which nights would be good for leftovers. I try to plan leftover nights for when Brian works late so that he can take extras with him for dinner.
  • When making my grocery list, I make sure I paper clip any coupons I have and need to use for my shopping trip.
  • Planning snacks helps to cut down on binge eating or eating unhealthy food.
  • When planning for the week, I have one alternate plan for something unexpected. For example, I know having pasta and jarred sauce on hand is something that is quick, easy, and everyone likes. This helps me have some sort of plan for when we are running late or have a sudden change of plans.
  • I know this seems a little time consuming, but honestly in the time it takes to watch a sitcom or one drama, Brian and I can go over the plan for the week, and I can plan out a menu.

What’s the Plan? Calendar Tips

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This week marks Week 3 in Mom of 6’s Organize Your Life Boot Camp. This week, it is all about the calendar.

 

 

Call me old fashioned, but I have an old school calendar hanging on the side of the fridge. I used to teach technology, I am married to a tech director (who cannot wait for me to get back to iCal), and I am a blogger who uses a laptop and smart phone like it’s my job. So why the paper calendar?

Years ago, B.C. (before children), I used iCal. Just like Sharon at Mom of 6, I loved the functionality, the color coding, the ease of sharing with my husband. Then after my second child was born, and we made the decision for me to become a stay at home mom, I realized how little I was on the computer and was using my cell phone during the day. So, I started using a paper calendar and kept it in the kitchen.

When I was in high school, I remember a teacher saying “I don’t care where you write it down, as long as you write it down.” I myself was a notebook user, but I can remember kids using laptops, scrap paper, or their hands to take notes. This is kind of my mentality when it comes to planning or using a calendar. As long as you have a system that you will consistently use, that is all that matters.

 

I use the Sandra Boynton family calendar because it has spaces for each member of our family, it is large, and it comes with stickers which my kids like helping put on important dates. Below is a list of tips that help us stay organized when it comes to our calendar:
  • Ever since Brian and I have gotten married, Sunday has become a “plan out the week” day. We usually sit on the couch (while watching sitcoms), and plan out the week. Appointments, babysitters, school events, exercise schedules, work commitments, and activities are all planned out. Sometimes we even discuss cleaning responsibilities and house projects that need to get completed and try to plan time to do that. I mark the calendar, he makes notes in his iPhone, and then we are ready for the week.
  • While Brian and I are sorting out the week, we make our To Do lists and prioritize the To Do’s and try to decide when these chores can be done.
  • To cut down on excess paper, any time we receive an invitation, a note from school about an event, or any other piece of paper requesting our presence somewhere the date is marked on the calendar along with any other details surrounding the event and the paper is thrown away. This is also the time that I RSVP to the event.
  • I keep a magnetic clip next to the calendar with anything that we might need to bring to an event. For example, if Brian and I have tickets to a concert, the tickets are kept right by the calendar.
  • I also make a note on the calendar who is babysitting the kids for particular events.
  • Lastly, if you touch the pen I keep next to my calendar, you will feel my wrath.
There you have it! Now go check out all the other links at Mom of 6 for tips on calendaring and to do lists.

This is Embarrassing: Small Space Organization

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Ok, admit it. Everyone has the space. The space that you cannot get a handle on. Right? Please tell me this is true. I cannot be the only one. I was almost too ashamed to post this, but then I realized I wanted to keep it real around here. Plus, you’ve seen a few of my other embarrassing moments here and here. So here goes… don’t judge.

 

This is my top dresser drawer. This is the space for me. I can never seem to get a handle on it. You’ll notice everything is in tiny boxes to help minimize tangled jewelry etc. However, I would then have to look in every box to find something and then would end up just throwing the boxes back in the drawer. Totally inefficient, and basically a joke.

Then, (cue Alleluia Chorus) I saw a few ideas on Pinterest for how to organize jewelry and accessories. After about 30 minutes of organizing, here is what my drawer looks like now.

 

So much better. The first thing I did was take everything out of the drawer, and line it with some wrapping paper.

 

Then, with a little help from Coco…

Ok, she wasn’t much help again. She has been more of a moral support system lately. Anyway, I sorted my accessories into some small ceramic dishes that I had. I was going to sell these dishes in our garage sale, but remembered I could use them to sort small things, and held on to them. Also, I bought some ceramic egg trays at JoAnn Fabrics awhile back on clearance to sort earrings. All of these dishes keep my accessories right where I can see them, and minimize things getting all jumbled up together.

 

Not bad for 30 minutes of my time, and less than a $5 investment. I cannot believe I didn’t do this sooner.
One last after photo, to get that awful first image out of your our brains.

Linking up with A Thoughtful Place for Keep C.A.L.M. and Organize On.

Finding My Stride: Establishing Routines

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Today is the second week in the Mom of 6 Organize My Life Boot Camp. This week’s topic is establishing routines.

I am a creature of habit. I love routine. Repetition. Predictability. Don’t get me wrong, I love the spontaneous outing or change up to the every day norm, but I feel that change ups come much easier when there is some sort of normalcy.

You know I’m a dork already so I have no fear sharing this with you, but even when I was unemployed after college, I made up routines for myself to keep my sanity. Wake up, eat breakfast, go for a run, job search and set up interviews, eat lunch, more job searching, nap, even more job searching, dinner, IM friends, watch nightly sitcoms, Golden Girls reruns, read, bed. I felt that even in a time of no schedule and really nowhere to be, I had something to do.

Now that I am a Mom of three all born in a span of 33 months, I have figured out how to establish routine that works for our family. That my kids find helpful. That Brian helped to establish. That even allows me to still enjoy my sitcoms.

I just want everyone to know that in our house the schedule is loose. The time frame is not set in stone, however, the routine does not waiver. Schedules are good, they are helpful, but sometimes they are unrealistic and constrictive to follow. I feel that it is unrealistic for anyone to believe that they can get any kid to bed at 8:00 p.m. on the dot every single night. I think it is unrealistic to assume that you won’t get caught in a traffic jam, soccer practice will run late, or the check out at the supermarket will be packed. I mean, you might even burn dinner while on the phone, supervising kids and Play-Doh and folding laundry and might have to find a plan B for dinner before the husband gets home (true story). Time is sometimes unreliable. The routine, however, helps to give everyone some comfort.

For example, my kids don’t go to bed at the EXACT same time every night, but we do the same thing before bed every night, and end up in bed between 7:45 and 8:30 p.m. consistently.

All the routines in our house are this way. It started when they were babies. Nurse, play, change diaper, sleep. Nurse, play, change diaper, sleep. Then, as they would grow things would evolve. Naps got further apart. Play time got longer. Nursing turned into table food.

Right now, we have a few standard routines that keep us on task, and allow us to have flexibility when we need/want it.

So here is a little day in the life…

Morning
Alarm Goes off at 4:30, I hit snooze button and debate about working out and try to make a decision before next alarm goes off at 4:40. If I decide to work out, I hit the gym and shower and am back in time to take a power nap. Then 6:30 alarm goes off, and Brian gets up, showers, and starts getting ready for work. Kids hear Brian and proceed to wake me up. I get them something to drink, and flip on a show for them while I get breakfast ready. Kids and I eat, then head upstairs, get dressed, brush teeth, get shoes, glasses, socks, coats. Everyone heads out the door. Brian to work. Boys to school. Caroline and I to Mom and Me activities.

 

Afternoon
Coco and I pick up the boys, and since it is kind of a long commute, I try to pack a snack and something to drink for the way home. When we walk in the door, everyone removes shoes, empty and hang up back packs, and wash hands. I make lunch sometimes with a little help from the kids. We all eat together and talk about school. While they have a little down time, I go through school papers and mail and sort it out and look to see if there is homework that needs to be done after naps. Between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. everyone (sometimes Mom too) takes a nap. My oldest really only needs a nap about 3 or 4 days a week, but he does have at least an hour of quiet time which includes looking at books while resting. This is my time that I do laundry, do some cleaning, catch up on a project, or blog. When everyone wakes up from naps between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m., I usually have a little snuggle time with everyone (while I still can) then, we grab a snack. Then it is homework time, (if there is any), play outside time, or park district activity time. Then dinner prep begins.

 

Evening
Kids will play independently, watch a show, or help me make dinner. Brian is usually walking in the door at this time, and changes clothes and will do a few things around the house like switch up laundry. Dinner is on the table between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Brian and I will sometimes clean up the kitchen together and do baths together or we will divide and conquer. Then it is finish up playing, pick up some toys, and pack backpacks. Next, we pick out clothes for the next day (sometimes this is when I pack my gym bag). Then, it is baths, jammies, brush teeth, find lovies, story time, prayers, kisses, and bed. Brian and I then collapse on the couch, do some work, blog, and watch sitcoms and try to be in bed no later than 11:00 p.m.

 

Then we start again.

Some notes:
– Times are not set in stone. These aren’t schedules, these are routines.
– My kids are amazing when we travel or do anything a little different, because they always have the comfort of the routine. No matter where we are we always have something to drink when we wake up. No matter where we are, we always wash hands before lunch. No matter where we are, we always have lovies and storytime before bed.
– Routines evolve as the kids grow.
– When someone is “not having” the routine, I let the kids make some decisions. Such as what kind of fruit we will have with breakfast. I will let someone pick what story we are reading at bedtime. Sometimes I will give special jobs like prayer leader, table clearer, or have them put toothpaste on everyones’ toothbrushes. Then, I give lots of praise. I have found my kids are much more cooperative when they feel they are part of the decision making and helping.
– Sometimes, we don’t follow everything perfect. We make mistakes. Sometimes, Brian and I leave the kitchen mess to play tag in the backyard instead. Sometimes, we skip baths to play Hi-Ho Cheerio. Sometimes, we put on Dolphin Tale and eat finger foods in front of the TV. Sometimes, everyone needs a break from the day to day, but I know that even though we have skipped a step or switched it up, the overall important parts of the routine have stayed the same.
– This is what works for US. I’m not saying that OUR routines will work for everyone, but I do advise having some sort of routine.

 

Staying on Track: Entry Organization

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The school year is in full swing, and along with that comes schedules, sports, park district classes, and family events. Because of all the insanity fun, I have made it my mission to try and stay as organized as possible so that we can spend more time together, and less time looking through papers and tripping over shoes.

Sharon over at Mom of 6 has started a 4 week Organize Your Life Boot Camp, which I have decided to join in order to stay motivated, share some tips, and learn some new organizing techniques. The first week’s assignment is setting up stations around the house to keep things organized. I must say this Boot Camp has been way more fun than the kind at my gym.

 

Our front hall closet makeover has come in so handy with this process. We all have a place to drop things when we walk in the door. No more tripping over backpacks, coats, shoes, and shin guards. These pictures show how well it has been working out so far.

 

 

 

The dresser that I painted has become a place to drop mail, school papers, and keys. The white Martha Stewart magazine holder is filled with files marked: Bills, Short Term Business, Long Term Business, School, To File, and To Scrapbook. The tray from JoAnn fabrics is the perfect place to drop school papers and mail as soon as we walk in the door. We can sort into the files, when we have time.

 

The drawers of the dresser also serve to store all things we need daily. The top drawer has pens, pencils, note pads, coupons, and some things that I grab as I walk out the door like hand sanitizer, a tape measure, Tide stain remover pen, and travel tissue.

Finally, the side of the fridge, which is only a few feet from our front entry, has been a perfect place to put our family calendar, weekly food menu, and invitations to upcoming events.

 

Stay tuned next week for the next stage of Get your Life Organized Boot Camp, Establishing Routines. Again, way more fun than real boot camp.

I Do: Our Wedding

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When Brian and I were planning our wedding day, we tried to think of all the weddings we had been to, and the best wedding receptions were the ones that had the best food. I know it sounds ridiculous, but good food can go a long way to your guests enjoyment of the reception. Once we knew the food would be fabulous, we tried to focus on lots of sentimental and personal touches.

The Date: After the proposal, it was kind of a whirlwind of telling people and picking a date for our big day. We knew we wanted an autumn wedding. We love cool weather, the colors, and we met in the fall, so we thought it was appropriate. We finally came around to picking September 16th. It was the only date that both the church and our banquet hall had at the same time, but it was totally meant to be. You see, this is also my parents’ anniversary. My parents were married for almost 34 years before my Dad passed away so we figured it was  a nice tribute to my Dad, and almost like a lucky day since my parents had such a happy a loving marriage.

 

The Church: Old St. Pat’s is an important place to us. We spent a lot of time there when we were dating. We attended mass there, volunteered there, and met life long friends there. Brian popped the question there. It remains a very special place to us as it is still our parish and the parish where our children were baptized.

 

The Band: Brian and I LOVE music (mentioned here). We spent a lot of time at concerts (Guster is still one of our favorites), listening to music, downloading our favorite songs, and researching new bands together. One of our first trips together was to Graceland and then to Nashville where we saw Josh Turner before anyone knew who he was. A monthly tradition of ours was to see a band called Tributosaurus. They are a band that each month has one concert and picks a different artist or band to cover. We saw them become Chicago, Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, The Smiths, Paul McCartny just to name a few. It was/is still one of our favorite things to do. Anyway, we explained to the band how we are die hard fans, and would you please play for our reception. They agreed and played a mix of all of our favorites. Everyone enjoyed because it was good oldie type music perfect for dancing, but they also played some newer music for the young ones.

The Sweet Table: Brian and I didn’t have a traditional dessert of wedding cake at our wedding. In Brian’s family, it is tradition to offer an entire table of sweets and treats after dinner. Ours was piled high with tiny creme puffs, eclairs, small pieces of cake, chocolate covered strawberries, and other sweet treats. To keep with tradition, we had a very small two tiered cake  to cut. Our baker actually made us a replica of the cake for our first anniversary for FREE.

 



The Bouquet: My bouquet was a place that I found it easy to add personal touches. It contained lots of sentimental flowers. My Dad’s family is Dutch so even though it was fall I included ivory tulips. My Mom loves hydrangeas so I made sure I had a few of those. My grandmother had gardenia in her wedding bouquet so I included those, and my sister had roses in her bouquet so I included those as well. I also added a few of my favorites like ranunculus and stephanotis with pearl centers.

The Shoes: Another very personal touch was to honor my Dad. My Dad passed away when I was only 19. Him and I were extremely close, and one of our favorite things to do together was run (I still run today). Our favorite brand of running shoes was New Balance, so I found a pair of all white New Balance shoes and my friend and bridesmaid, Sara, bedazzled them for me with crystals and pearls. My brothers and my “Dad’s shoes” walked me down the aisle on my wedding day.

 

The Photos: We wanted to make sure we got some pictures with the Chicago skyline behind us. Brian and I feel like it is “our” city so that was important to us.

 

The Little Things: Instead of table numbers we labeled the tables with all of our favorite Chicago date spots. For favors, we are big believers sending people off with a little snack for the car ride home or something to share the next day. Our favorite fall treat is a carmel apple, so everyone got a carmel apple from Affy Tapple (pretty much an institution in Chicago). Our programs contained pictures of the stained glass windows of Old St. Pat’s.

I’m not an expert wedding planner, but I will say this. It is very similar to hosting any party. The food should be great but there should be a few personal and sentimental touches that help to make it personal and special to you and your guests.