Surprise in 2012

There is a surprise coming...tune in January 1st to see the plan for 2012!!

Can't wait!

~Laura

Organizing tip with baskets

Today I am linking to one of my favorite organization blogs

www.iheartorganizing.blogspot.com

This girl is adorable, kind, and amazing at organizing AND blogging about it.

My tip today has to do with baskets.

Everyone has them, so put them to use.

Here are just a few ideas we have used here at the Cecil house.

Today is FAST-FIX FRIDAY and I have tried to post this post THREE times!

Let’s see if three times is really a charm!

FAST-FIX FRIDAY is full of fabulous baskets that we can use to store many different things in a very visually appealing way. (Say that line five times fast!)

Here are some ways that we use these great baskets:

CD BASKET-This is a great rectangular basket that works beautifully for CD storage. This one is just the little collection of CDs that we keep in the kitchen near the stereo for some sweet music to calm this place down and fun music to dance in the kitchen with.

TOY BASKET-Toys are often needed at a moments notice with little ones around. Medium wicker laundry baskets do just the trick for storing toys in a family or living room. These baskets fit in the corner and don’t take away aesthetically from the look of the room.

DIAPER BASKET-I love having a diaper basket ready on every floor of our home. It makes changing a wet baby much easier. This is just a basic basket with all the goodies needed to change the diaper. This is a well-loved basket in our home. Notice the gnawing marks of our puppy, Daisy.

HOMEWORK BASKET-I have a great system for papers to be signed and returned, field trip forms and homework, BUT this is the place where everything is stored that gets used daily, but not turned in. Things like Everyday Math workbooks, exercise records, Brooke’s part in the play as Little Bo Peep, bookmarks, and flashcards. Anything that I find that is school-related goes right here. Easton, literally just walked in the office just now and asked where his school planner was…in the HOMEWORK BASKET was the answer!

CHURCH BASKET-The “CHURCH”BASKET sounds like a funny name, but that is really what it holds…church stuff. It holds our pass-along cards, quick reference information, Faith in God books, YW/YM booklets and class information. Much like the HOMEWORK BASKET above, any time that I find church stuff that is not tucked away in scriptures, I put them here.

BOOK BASKETS-Baskets, like the ones above, are perfect for storing books in a visually appealing way in any room you want. I love books! Who doesn’t? I love having books on hand, anytime, when a little one wants to grab one and take a look. Having books in more than one location makes for more opportunities to read with our children.

SOCK BASKET-We will go into more detail on the SOCK BASKET tomorrow, but for now, I LOVE this basket! It sits near our front door, and insures that little ones have socks available for shoes anytime. We don’t like stinky shoes around here, so if you don’t either, make a SOCK BASKET!!

The possibilities are endless for BASKET STORAGE. Remember that you can find very in expensive baskets at places like Marshalls, TJMaxx, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Wal-Mart, Target, garage sales, etc.

For tomorrow:

Tomorrow for SUPER SATURDAY we are going to talk about SOCKS! Too fun!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

First Day of the rest of my organized LIFE!

GARAGE: BEFORE & AFTER

Above is a garage I helped a friend with a few weeks ago.

Her husband wondered if I had any ideas for their garage, and this is what we did!

(names have been held to protect the owner of that little tricycle.)

As many of you know, I love organizing!

I mean, I absolutely love it!

If I could do anything I wanted everyday, I would organize.

(other than play with my husband and children on the beach somewhere)

I would organize anything in my house, but the real fun comes from organizing someone else's home.

I love going into someone's "trouble zone," assessing the needs, visualizing the solution and doing it!

When I climb in my car, though usually physically tired, I am on a high.

The high that some people get with shopping, or finishing a great book with an interesting fictional character, or eating a delectable cupcake from one of those fancy cupcake stores.

I get that organizing.

So, today I decided that I am going to start a new series called "Heaps to Happiness."

I know, I know, a little play on the blog's name, but it is about time I just live my life and share on the side.

As I work on something here at the house, or if I get a chance to help someone else, I am going to BLOG about it!

I have been pretty good at blogging about our family at www.thisheavenonearth.blogspot.com, but this will be great for my organizing efforts.

Can't wait to start!

I have a master closet that has been destroyed by baby clothes for a baby who, by the way, is growing WAY to fast, shoes that could be worn by Tymber, Annie and myself, and both maternity clothes and six different sizes of other clothing!

It's Monday, and I am motivated.

I will show you what I did soon!

Don't forget. If you have an area you need help in, you may be able to find it on the sidebar. Just click the room you need and follow the step-by-step.

Look what we are having...another GIRL!!

It's a GIRL!! I would show you the actual picture of proof, but for some reason it just seems wrong.

She is so cute! Look at her! If I turn the picture right side up, she looks just like Annie. Too fun!

Many of you know that I seriously told the big man upstairs that I would love to have a house full of boys.

Now, as I embark on having another little girl join our crew, I am so thrilled.

Something happened a few weeks ago when I realized that having another girl was a very strong possibility. I thought about the five of them becoming mothers. The thoughts that crowded my mind of grandchildren, missions, college graduations, and hopefully, many phone calls for opinions and ideas just brought light to my eyes and literally, warmth to my heart.

These girls are going to be extraordinary. They are so far beyond where I was at their age. Their testimonies, their hair-styling abilities, and even their brilliance far surpass anything I was. They are helpful, wonderful and challenging. They are also surrounded by all of your girls who are equally extraordinary. I love it!

I have no idea what this little one's name will be, or what color her eyes will bare, but I do know that she will be loved.

I am so grateful and feel so blessed.

Grow baby grow. We can't wait to meet you!

~Laura

Once A Week Might Do The Trick!

Life has just become busier with every passing day.

I thought, "it's summer" on my last post, I can find time everyday to do a project, take a picture and post it.

But, as you can see it was a busy summer.

Then Fall came. Great! Five out of six kiddos in school. I can do this once a day, but alas, it was a busy Fall.

I don't have to tell any of you about how the holidays are. Parties, presents, church, traditions, etc.

So here we are, almost the final day of January.

I figure it is just like that first day you swim in the summer, sometimes you just have to JUMP IN!

My goal is one, hopefully great, organization idea a week. Maybe after a few more years of doing that I will have accumulated 365 posts!!! Thus making the blog a true success!

I am going to try and post on Mondays, because Mondays are the days when I am usually home running crazy amounts of laundry, making the bread for the week, and feeling a fresh start from Sunday!

See you Monday!

~Laura

***If anyone has any requests that they need immediate attention to, just comment and leave me a suggestion, and I will try to be helpful!

Back by Popular Demand

Ok, I don’t know if “popular” is the word, but I would say that dozens of emails has done the trick.

 

Have you ever felt like the shoes you decided to put on were TOO BIG?

Well, I decided that I was going to be that mom this year.

You know the one.

The one who puts her kids first.

Before signing up on the meals for others sheet, before pursuing personal indulgence, before dates with friends, and even putting their goals and aspirations before my own.

You see my children have been helping me fulfill my responsibilities at church for awhile now, so I figured this year was their turn.

I had all the balls in the air and it was all going along just fine, until we hit Spring Break. 

We headed to Arizona and had a great time.

When we got home, life took over.

It was the home stretch for school and with 5 out of 6 kids in sports, teenagers running track at school on top of travel teams, gymnastics for a 6 year old who had waited too long to try something herself, an 8 year old with piano competitions and a recital, not to even mention the school play, talent shows, field days, field trips and so on….

I was overloaded….just like these shoes are for the feet trying to fill them.

It is summer and the children are ready and willing to help me with one of my dreams…to help any one I can get more organized.

So, each morning mom has TWO hours, one for the exercise she has just reestablished in her life and one for our organization blog.

Yeah!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Super Saturday-Oven Cleaning

Saturday is a perfect day to clean the ‘ole OVEN!

If you have a SELF-CLEANING one, Saturday is a perfect day to set the OVEN to clean and then play or work outside.

If you have one without that feature, there are some fumes from the spray cleaners that you would probably not want your children inhaling, so send them out to play.

Follow the same steps that you would if it were a cabinet or drawer.

EMPTY-Leave all racks IN for the cleaning, but remove everything else.

VACUUM-Use the edger on crumbs, so that it lessens the burn.

WIPE OUT-Wipe out large chunks BEFORE cleaning and wipe down all walls AFTER the cleaning process.

ORGANIZE-I store the broiler pan in the bottom oven, so make sure that it is clean before you put it back.

REPLACE-Replace all racks and other items after everything is clean and ready.

DON’T FORGET…

For our next GIVEAWAY…many of you have been working very hard right alongside us everyday and I think a night out is in order.

So…for those of you who are willing to share our organizing website with a friend, family member or friend…you have many chances to win this time.

First, you can comment on your favorite post and enter yourself to win

AND

Second, you can pass our site along to someone, have them comment so that we can welcome them, and then we will add BOTH your names to the drawing.

THE GIVE-AWAY FOR APRIL IS…

a $50 GIFTCARD TO OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE and

a $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THE MOVIES!!!

Who doesn’t want to go to a great dinner and the movie after working so hard all week?

Tell someone every day in April and you will have 30 chances to WIN!!!

JOIN US AND WIN! Not just this month’s prize, BUT the PEACE that comes from putting your life in order!!!

For tomorrow:

Tomorrow is SPECIAL SUNDAY, and we are going to explore a “new” kind of RESEARCH!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura