Special Sunday-You’ve Got Mail

“You’ve got mail.”

Such sweet words back in the day when you would hear them upon opening your email.

There is even a darling movie that shares those same words as its’ title.

These days, however, it may seem a bit more overwhelming if your email looks anything like mine.

(Currently 382 unread messages, and 32 pages of old email that I cannot seem to transfer to trash fast enough!)

BUT…

Today can be the day to change all that!

TAKE 5 MINUTES AND SEND SOMEONE AN EMAIL TODAY!

• Email a missionary on dearelder.com (If you know where the missionary is serving, you can email them anytime. Very COOL!)
• Email a college roommate you have lost touch with.
• Email your spouse to the email account that they will check on Monday morning.
• Email one of your children’s gmail account for a sweet message.
• Email someone from church with a thank you for teaching.

JUST HAVE FUN WITH IT!

“You’ve Got Mail” or in my case “Your current INBOX” may just have a special message

RIGHT BACK AT YOU!

For tomorrow:

MARCH MADNESS is beginning TOMORROW, so GET READY!

Tomorrow, we are tacking the YOUR CLOSET!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Super Saturday-Edging is Gold!

Today is a perfect day to get the VACUUMING done!

When you are vacuuming today, or supervising children like me,

DON’T FORGET THE EDGES!

I know that everyone vacuums the middle of the room, but do you take the time to EDGE?

Edging puts the FINISHING TOUCHES on a room!

How does this apply to ORGANIZATION?

You must have clean corners in a room and no clutter along the wall to EDGE with greatness!

Take a few minutes in EACH room to prepare them for EDGING during vacuuming.

Here’s how we do it: (Follow STEPS for EACH room)

STEP #1-ASSESS-Walk in each room and assess what needs to be picked up on the floor.

STEP #2-PICK-UP-Pick up everything that is in the corners and on the floor. In kids’ rooms, don’t forget around the base of the bed and behind doors where things love to hide.

STEP #3-SORT-Sort everything that you found for where it goes.

STEP #4-PUT AWAY-Take a few minutes and put away everything that is out of place.

STEP #5-EDGE-Use edging piece of vacuum to vacuum the baseboards 1st, and then all the edges of the carpet and around the base of all furniture.

STEP #6-VACUUM ROOM-Vacuum the rest of the room and TA DA…it’s a beautifully vacuumed room!

For tomorrow:

SPECIAL SUNDAY will greet us with a little thing that I think ROCKS!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Fast-Fix Friday-Little Drawer Wonders

I LOVE THESE LITTLE DRAWER WONDERS!

These can be found on the shelves in the home department of Wal-Mart!

They are 2 and 3 for a little over a DOLLAR!

They are a STEAL!

They can clean up ANY DRAWER, ANYWHERE in your home.

A few ideas:

KITCHEN-Put them in the silverware drawer to hold the baby’s spoons.  Store the misc batteries in them.  Of use them to store the corncob holders!

BATHROOM-I use the long slender one for “girl products”, the large one for toothbrushes and toothpaste, and the medium one for hair ties.

BEDROOM-You can sort your jewelry VERY EASILY by using these.  Separate your bracelets, watches, earrings and necklaces with a variety of these!

OFFICE-Use the slender one for pens and pencils, the large one for Post-Its, and the medium one for paper clips and desk accessories.

THE USES COULD GO ON AND ON!

What do you use them for?

For tomorrow:

SUPER SATURDAY will be a surprise for both of us!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Therapy Thursday-What do you need?

The therapy question of the day is:

“What can you add to your supplies to help your work run more smoothly?”

• How about more sharpened pencils?
• How about more pens?
• Do you need a back-up supply of printer paper?
• How about printer cartridges?
• Do you need Post-its for quick notes?
• I love having a notepad for quick ideas and thoughts. Do you need one?

Whatever it is, GO AND GET IT!

Being organized in an office setting is invaluable!

Put your finishing touches on your office and sit back and ENJOY!

For tomorrow:

FAST-FIX FRIDAY has another, very inexpensive, but very valuable

ORGANIZATION TOOL!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Wrap-Up Wednesday-File the files

I hope everyone had a chance to conquer your OFFICE SUPPLIES!

If you haven’t, GO FOR IT TODAY!

Here is what I did to have a place that would work with our small arsenal of SUPPLIES:

I stored mine in a FILING CABINET!

Here are a few pictures of the drawers:

I stored all extra supplies together including file folders, two-pocket folders, spiral notebooks, lined paper and composition notebooks in a drawer for easy access.

I also sorted all paper into FILE FOLDERS individually by color, type and style and then LABELED them for ease.

In the top drawer, I stored the boxes that hold shipping and address labels.

I LOVE THIS!

It cleared the clutter out of our office, and the kids now know EXACTLY where to find paper, school and filing supplies!

Did you find something that was incredibly successful and want to share?

Email or comment to us, and we will post it to help everyone!

For tomorrow:

THERAPY THURSDAY has a simple question that you can answer and build on the organization of your OFFICE SUPPLIES.

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Tackle Tuesday-Office Supplies

I got a little in over my head!

Look at the loot I found all around my house in the OFFICE SUPPLIES category!

CRAZY!

My kids came in today and said, “Where did we get all this stuff?”

I replied, “Under the stairs in the basement, in the utility room, in dad’s office, on mom’s desk and a little in the garage!”

I apologize for giving you two days at once, but it literally took me BOTH days to get this together.

Here we go:

STEP #1-COLLECT-Collect all office supplies if you have not done this yet. Look everywhere!

STEP #2-SORT-As you can see from the pictures above, I separated like piles, such as, binders, cardstock, clipboards, etc. together.

STEP #3-STORAGE-Decide how you want to store everything. I decided to use an old, tall, filing cabinet in the basement to store most of my supplies. The EVERYDAY items are shown in the last photo and are stored in a cabinet in the kitchen. Do what works for you!

STEP #4-PUT AWAY-Put everything in the predetermined spots. *HINT:As you are putting things away, stack things with like colors and styles together. Think, “What looks best and is the most accessible.”

STEP #5-LABEL-Label all containers for convenience in finding things, plus it LOOKS great too!

For tomorrow:

For WRAP-UP WEDNESDAY we are going to put the finishing touches on your OFFICE SUPPLIES.

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Monday Madness-Finding the Office Floor

Today is almost over, so for MONDAY MADNESS, take a few minutes and FIND everything that you consider an OFFICE ITEM.

Here are some things that I would list:

PAPER OF ALL KINDS (printer, cardstock, craft, scrapbook, etc.)

PENS

PENCILS

PADS OF PAPER

POST-ITS

FOLDERS

BINDERS

EXTRA SCHOOL SUPPLIES

FILE FOLDERS

ENVELOPES

PAPER CLIPS

SCISSORS

THANK YOU NOTES

CARDS

MARKERS

COLLECT ALL OF THESE ITEMS AND WE WILL ORGANIZE THEM TOMORROW!

For Tomorrow:

We will organize the above for TACKLE TUESDAY!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Special Sunday-The Art of the Thank You

Have you ever gotten a thank you that truly “moved” you?

I have.

There are very few things better than actually sharing your heart and feelings with others.

I have a friend who is amazing!

She is one of those people who you don’t want to throw away her simple thank you, because the words she writes, can change the course of your day.

I have always enjoyed taking a few minutes and thanking someone who I know, worked so hard on behalf of the rest of us.

I love how comfortable it is to thank someone, in writing, and tell them how much they mean to you.

Here are some things to remember when thanking someone special:

Address the person by name

Note the specific thing that touched or impressed you

Let them know exactly what it meant to you

Tell them how it made you feel

Recall other times, when maybe a thank you was not sent, when you felt their love

Tell them what impressed you about their spouse or family

Let your heart do the writing

ALWAYS REMEMBER:

You will never regret thanking someone for something that they did for you,

but you may regret NOT thanking them!

For tomorrow:

MONDAY MADNESS is going to lead us to ORGANIZING OFFICE SUPPLIES.

It sounds easy and straight-forward, but we are going to tackle it for a couple of days.

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Super Saturday-Finishing Touches on Kids’ Closets

Today is Saturday and a perfect day to take each child and take care of the finishing touches on their closets.

Here’s how to finish it off RIGHT:

STEP #1-ALL CLOTHING-Make sure all clothing is hung and folded properly.  Make sure that it all fits and is in proper condition.

STEP #2-ALL SHOES-Make sure shoes are paired correctly and stored in an organized fashion.

STEP #3-BASKET STORAGE-Organize the baskets in such a way that they can be used for easy and convenient storage.

STEP #4-TEACHING-Take a few minutes after everything is in its’ place, and teach your child the best way to put things away.  If you teach them how to hang the clothes facing the same direction and how to store like things together.  They will better be able to find their shoes, create coordinated outfits and have a place to store their extra things.

*Tip: I always keep a small basket or box for misc. items for quick pick-up.  On Saturdays, they can easily put away the small toys where they belong, or sort through papers, and other things in their quick pick-up basket.

GREAT WEEK! I CAN’T WAIT FOR NEXT WEEK!

For tomorrow:

SPECIAL SUNDAY is always a time for learning, reflection and peace.

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Fast-Fix Friday-Medium storage boxes

Today is Friday, and we get to learn how to use an another very useful organization tool…MEDIUM STORAGE BOXES.

These boxes are GREAT for many of the following:

Memory boxes for each child

Emergency storage for cars

Flip-flops by a backdoor

A file folder storage center

Perfect for the too small/too big boxes needed for children’s closets

A sorting box for paper

The uses are endless!

The great thing about this size is that it can organize those things that do not need the space of the large storage box.

Here are a few pictures of kids’ memory boxes.  Just one of the great uses for these medium storage boxes!

For tomorrow:

SUPER SATURDAY is going to be a “teaching moment” for our little ones and their new and improved closets.

Tune in!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Therapy Thursday-Put a smile on your face

Today I want you to put a SMILE on your face because…

if you have been following along with us and working very hard, you probably can do many of these with no problem:

• find a coat, gloves, scarf and hat for any member of your family in ONE place
• know that none of your children can come down to go to school in an outfit that has holes or is too small, because those clothes are no longer available
• you can find your favorite movie, in its’ case, ready to go
• you can find that special music to catch a little dance in the kitchen
• you know exactly what organizer would work perfect for sorting your receipts
• you know how to do a quick-pick up in a moment’s notice
• you can take a paper pile and turn it into filed bills, memory folders, or recycling
• you have a month’s worth of memories on your video camera of the most current and fun things your family is doing
• you have holiday boxes stored away, properly labeled and ready to go for next year
• you know FIVE different ways to use an over-the-door organizer
• you have emergency supplies right in your car
• AND MANY, MANY MORE!

If you, or someone you know, needs this, PASS IT ALONG!

SMILE TODAY, because you are MORE ORGANIZED than you were on January 1st, and so am I!

For tomorrow:

Another FAST-FIX FRIDAY has another organizing item that we could all use in some way!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Wrap-up Wednesday-Kids’ Clothes & Closets…Done!

Today is WRAP-UP WEDNESDAY and that is exactly what I want you to do…wrap it up!

If you have run into a problem that we didn’t cover, EMAIL ME TODAY, and we will include it in today’s post!

I have been taking multi-tasking to an UNHEALTHY level, so I am committing to finishing projects BEFORE trying to tackle another one!

Today when you are wrapping up the KIDS’ stuff, put a smile on your face that their rooms are coming together. 

The clothes in a child’s room is MORE THAN half the battle!

We will tackle the other things in the upcoming weeks.

For tomorrow:

THERAPY THURSDAY is going to give you moms something to really smile about, and for everyone else, who has been finishing up other projects, a smile for you as well!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Tackle Tuesday-Child #2, #3, #4 etc. Closets!

Today is TACKLE TUESDAY, so we are going to just keep on going on those closets!

You should have organized everyone’s clothes last week and weeded out the

GIVE-AWAY and the WORN and kept the GOOD!

If you feel like you have a closet you would like to show-off, send us a pic!

*Side note:I know that posts have been coming later and later, but I have a really great excuse…actually I have SIX of them. Namely, A.J., Madison, Easton, Brooke, Ellie and Annie. And if you want to know the truth, a small puppy, named Daisy, that needs to be taken outside 3 times an hour to add to the mix.

This last weekend our oldest daughter, who is my personal life-saver most days, was out-of-town for a competitive volleyball tournament, so to reward her helpfulness, my husband and I took on re-doing her room.

The result is:

THIS…

And many late night POSTS!

So fun to see the excitement in her eyes, even though it was 3 am for her arrival!

For tomorrow:

Tomorrow is WRAP-UP WEDNESDAY, so we are going to do just that…WRAP-UP the KIDS’ CLOSETS.

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Monday Madness-Kiddos closets

I am playing a little catch-up, so here is our MONDAY MADNESS post…KIDS’ CLOSETS.

There are a lot of different ways you can organize your children’s closets, but I have tried to make all of mine pretty similar to make our focus of staying organized easier.

Here’s how we do it:

STEP #1-HANGING-I hang all shirts and pants for anyone in our family over 6 years old.  At about six, I find that they can get ready for school, church, etc. much easier if they can see their options right in front of them, not stacked in a drawer.

When they are little, drawers seem to hold little shirts and pants quite nicely, but as they start to pair outfits together, the hangers are a great fit.

STEP #2-SHOE RACKS-I also make sure they all have shoe racks.  I like the one shown below, that has little shelves that can hold pairs great.  *Note: We do keep our current season shoes in the garage on shelves for easy convenience, so these racks in their closets hold slippers, church shoes and off-season shoes.

STEP #3-SHELF STORAGE-As you can see below, I also have shelves in their closets for misc. clothes that are off-season and don’t currently need to be hung, as well as, baskets that can hold all sorts of things.

STEP #4-BASKET STORAGE-I use baskets in their closets for quick storage of belts, memory items,books, etc.

Our children also have their laundry baskets, in or near, their closets for a place for dirty clothes, and a way to keep the clean and dirty separate.

STEP #5-HANGING ORDER-I also hang all clothes going the same direction, in short-sleeve to long-sleeve order, and I am a little OCD, so when I am helping with straightening a closet, I do put clothes in rainbow order.  (I realize that this is not NORMAL, so I don’t require it of my children or husband, but seem to find myself compelled to do it more than I would like to admit.)

The specific order of how I hang their clothes for all you fellow neat freaks with OCD is: tank tops (no sleeves), short-sleeve (lightest to darkest, like colors together), long-sleeved (same order as short sleeves), sweaters, sweatshirts (non-hooded first, then hooded), vests, jackets, dresses.  On the lower level I hang pants and skirts.  I like to hang jeans together, dress pants together and skirts together. 

STEP #6-DRESSER ITEMS-I usually use a dresser for items like undershirts, panties or underwear, socks, PJs, sweats and shorts.

I think by using both HANGING and FOLDING strategies, your kids will better be able to keep their clothes sorted and organized.

STEP #7-HOOK RACK-In each closet I also like to hang at least one hook rack, for hats, bags, and robes.  In little girl closets, these are great for little purses and belts as well.

STEP # 8-OVER-THE-DOOR-If your closets have a door, don’t forget the over-the-door organizer that you can put on the backside for shoes, hair-ties, belts, and other misc. items.

STEP #9-STORAGE BOXES-I also store two boxes in the top of the closet if I have room. *Note: If you don’t have room in each child’s closet, you can still have these handy organizers, but store them in the basement, garage, attic, etc. with LABELS of course showing what size the clothes are and who they are intended for next.

The two boxes hold #1:CLOTHES that are TOO SMALL and #2:CLOTHES that are TOO BIG.

The great thing about these two boxes is, when you have an item that a child has outgrown, it can immediately be taken out of “circulation” and put in the TOO SMALL box.  The other box can be labeled with the next size of clothes, so that they are handy to use when a child’s jeans get too short, or they need to more to the next size.

CLOSETS CAN BE OUR FRIENDS!

Take one closet STEP-BY-STEP, and remember to complete one all the way

BEFORE proceeding to the next one.

For tomorrow:

For TACKLE TUESDAY, we are still working on KIDS’ CLOSETS, because most people who have taken on this parenthood thing have more than one child.

For those of you with no children and quiet nights, take a look at the beginning of our journey and see what you may have missed doing or completing and choose one of those things to do for the next couple of days.

Have a great night!

~Laura

Special Sunday-Secret to Success

I thought that I might share a little secret this Valentines’ Day.

I love Sundays.

That is not the secret, I just thought that I should mention it.

I love sitting in the pew in church surrounded by my family, even when some weeks almost bring me to tears with children’s behavior.

The secret to loving Sundays,

is the planning for the upcoming week.

I love to plan what we could accomplish in the week ahead.

I love to review children’s goals for school, church, etc.

I love looking at the events that we will be participating in.

I love to look at the blank spaces in our schedule, where, if we are really lucky, we can have those “moments.”

The moments that make all the crazy Sundays worth it.

Tonight, as you are preparing for bed, think about the upcoming week.

Think about what you would talk about with each child if you got them alone.

Think about what is more important, cheering on a loved one at a game or play, or finishing your book.

Think about all the little things, that when you are sitting in that pew next week, you will be so grateful you did!

I love Sundays!

So should you!

For tomorrow:

Tomorrow, for MONDAY MADNESS, we are going step-by-step through KIDS’ CLOSETS.  We organized the clothes last week, so let’s finish the closet!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Super Saturday-Sports Day

Today is SPORTS DAY!

If you don’t have children in SPORTS, you may want to organize your workout equipment.  You can wipe down the treadmill, wipe off the weights, etc.

Here’s how we do it:

STEP #1- OFF SEASON SPORTS-I take one organizer for each sport and store all uniform pieces together.  I also add things that are small like cleats, baseball sports cups, kneepads for volleyball, etc.  I label the sport on the box and store in the garage on a shelf.

STEP #2-CURRENT SPORTS-Since we have six children, I separate the boys’ and girls’ baskets for easy use.  I use the wonderful, very cheap laundry baskets in two different colors and store all current uniforms and supplies in each.  I keep the baskets on a shelf in the laundry room, so that as clean uniforms come out of the laundry, they go right in the basket.  No more lost uniforms on game day!

STEP #3-OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT-We store our balls, gloves, etc in the garage.  We keep all the gloves and bats in the baseball bags, hanging in the garage.  We keep all the balls in large buckets for easy use, in the garage as well.  We hang tennis rackets on .98 cent hooks in the garage.  We also hang sleds and anything else we can to get it off the ground. 

STEP #4-SCHEDULES-As soon as we get sports schedules, we write them on the family calendar and in my planner.  I also make a copy for grandparents and anyone else who wants to support our kiddos!

If you have any great ideas that work for your SPORTS stuff, email us and we will share!

For tomorrow:

SPECIAL SUNDAY is time for a special secret that I will share with you.  Hopefully, it will bring a smile to your face like it does to mine!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Fast-Fix Friday-More than just a BOX

I love MEDIUM STORAGE BOXES!

They are wonderful, and they are our FAST-FIX FRIDAY item!

WAYS TO USE THESE WONDERS:

STORE CLOTHES-You can store clothes that are TOO BIG, TOO SMALL, or ONES TO SAVE.

SPORTS CLOTHES-When we have OFF-SEASON sports gear, we store it in one of these and label the side with the sport.  The next season, TA DA, it is all there.

BALLS-These are great for the garage or backyard and can hold all kinds of BALLS.

SHOES-These can also work for storing shoes in the garage, or FLIP-FLOPS for the family when they are out of season (this would not apply to my CA friends where flip-flops are NEVER out of season!)

GARAGE BOXES-It is too dark tonight, but tomorrow I will post picks of GARAGE boxes.  We store things like 72-hour kits, paint supplies, tents, etc. in our garage in these boxes with coordinating labels.

TABLECLOTHS-I do not have enough room in my kitchen drawers or cabinets for all my tablecloths, so we store them in one of these.

HOLIDAY-These are my favorite size for all HOLIDAY, because they don’t get too heavy to put up in the attic, and they store perfectly!

I am sure there are many other ways to use these boxes, but you guys will have to share them!

For tomorrow:

Tomorrow for SUPER SATURDAY, we are going to go into detail on storing SPORTS items and clothing!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Therapy Thursday-From Babies to Breathing

Ok, so 8am was TWELVE hours ago, but I do have great excuses for being so late, but I won’t bore you with any of them!

Today was BABY CLOTHES and CHEAP THERAPY!

For those of you without the WEE ones in your life right now, we will start with THERAPY, which will actually be a great way for you to end your Thursday.

ASK YOURSELF:

“How does it feel to have de-cluttered my clothes and benefited others by giving away what I am not using?”

Do you have PEACE in your heart, mind and closet floor?

You should.

Did you remember to take a picture of your donations for tax purposes and then drive them to the give-away bin?

If not, plan on doing that in the morning.

Don’t let those things that could help someone else, right now, sit in your garage.

Great work!

Ok, you sweet women who are probably wondering how you are ever going to finish everything, because you have a little one pulling apart your piles faster than you can fold and sort!

Here we go:

BABY CLOTHES

STEP #1-GATHER all clothes and set on floor in front of you.  Make sure you have everything.

STEP #2-SORT by shirts, shorts, skirts, dresses, PJs, shoes, etc.

STEP #3-ORGANIZE each pile by size.  Store all outfits together.  I hang EVERYTHING!  I hang my baby clothes by outfit, so that anyone can dress the baby in a flash.  I actually think that Annie can practically dress herself the way we have her set up.  My sister, Julie, embraced this practice of hanging all clothes in outfits several years ago, and it has now blessed our lives immensely.

STEP #4-HANG all outfits according to size, and in each size range, hang shortest to tallest, or by style (i.e. SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, etc OR by COLOR)  Whatever, you feel, looks the most uniform and organized.

STEP #5-DETAILS.  Take care of all the little details that are left.  Store socks and tights in baskets, drawers or bins.  Store shoes in over-the-door organizer (scene on a previous post.)  Hang coats on main floor for quick use.  Organize any diapering supplies that are kept near clothing.

TOMORROW I WILL POST GREAT PICS, but tonight I am crashing!

For tomorrow:

Tomorrow’s FAST-FIX FRIDAY is a GREAT piece for organizing.  It is one of the main things that BECCA won last week!  Maybe, I will even get her prizes off to her tomorrow!

Have a great night!

~Laura

Wrap-up Wednesday-Kiddos clothes

Hey guys and gals.

I am aware that my posts are lagging later and later, but I will try and start posting every morning for those of you that have your organization time before 8pm, which is when I find myself with children in bed and work to be done.

With that being said, today is KIDS’ CLOTHES DAY!

Here’s how we can do it!

STEP #1-CLEAN, HANG AND PUT AWAY ALL CLOTHES.

STEP #2-SHIRTS-Look for holes, check sizes and sort by color.

STEP #3-PANTS-Look for holes, check sizes, and sort by style.

STEP #4-SHORTS-Look for holes, check sizes and sort by style

(Do you see a pattern here?)

STEP #5-UNDERCLOTHING-Look for holes, check sizes and stack in an orderly manner.

STEP #6-SOCKS-Look for holes, too much wear, and pair remaining.

STEP #7-CHURCH CLOTHES-Check for wear, check sizes and hang together.(tie with suit, black socks in shoes, matching ribbons with dresses, etc.)

Next week we will cover KIDS’ CLOSETS, so just check clothes and place back in drawers and closets for now.

For tomorrow:

Tomorrow we are going to cover BABY CLOTHES, and for those of you without a WEE one in your life, we will have a WEE therapy session.

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Tackle Tuesday-Adult Access

We are tackling the access to your wardrobe today.

I have been working on mine and my husband’s all day, so I think I have some tips for you.

Now with all of your laundry clean and put away, we are ready to start.

Here’s how we can do it!

STEP #1-PANTS-I began with pants.  Maybe it is because I have sizes in my closet from one end of women’s sizes to the next.  I ended keeping the size I currently wear, and one size down on my hangers.  The other sizes I neatly folded and put on the shelves I have.  If you don’t have any extra shelves, you can store your extra sizes in a storage container and label it.  If you are at a weight where you maintain and have no need for those larger sizes, GIVE THEM AWAY.  Someone could use them right now.  I folded all of my pants button in and a pleat down the legs, hung on a hanger.  If you store your pants on shelves.  Fold them all the same way and store likes together.

STEP #2-SHIRTS-I went through my shirts, one-by-one, and hung them all on hangers facing the same way.  I took out all shirts that have not been worn in the last year.  Some I still liked quite a bit, but I have always been taught that if you haven’t used it in a year, give it to someone who will. I gathered a pretty nice pile of give-away.  I then organized the shirts in an organized manner.  This is the order that I think looks the best for me: SHORT-SLEEVED TEES, LONG-SLEEVED TEES, SHORT-SLEEVED SHIRTS AND BLOUSES, LONG-SLEEVED SHIRTS AND BLOUSES, AND HANGABLE SWEATERS AND JACKETS. 

STEP #3-SWEATERS-If you didn’t wear it last winter, or yet this one, give it away.  Take all the sweaters left and sort them by color or style, whatever you prefer.  Fold each one in the same uniform pattern and place on the shelf.

STEP #4-PJs and EXERCISE CLOTHES-I took out anything too worn or not used and added to the give-away pile.  I them sorted PJs by sets and singles and folded in a uniform pattern and placed on shelf.  I then did the same for exercise clothes.

STEP #5-UNDERCLOTHING-Empty drawer of all clothing. Wipe down drawer.  Sort through all underclothing using the same method as above.  Except, underclothing is not given away.  Just throw away too worn clothing and fold and place in drawer the rest.

STEP #6-SOCKS-Empty drawer.  Wipe down inside of drawer.  Pair all socks looking for worn heels, any holes or too much wear and tear.  Place pairs neatly in the drawer putting the lesser worn in the back or on the bottom, with the most used in the front or top.

STEP #7-SHOES-Shoes are wonderful!  I love how I can always feel great in my shoes now matter what size of pants I am currently wearing.  This ability to make us feel great is why we need to have them paired to perfection so that they are ready at a moments notice.  Pair each shoe together, toes together, and in a straight line.  Just remember, straight lines with shoes, hangers, etc. make for an organized space. 

IF THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE ADULT IN YOUR HOME, MORE TO ADULT #2 and REPEAT #1-#7.

I ACTUALLY FEEL LIGHTER!

For Tomorrow:

Tomorrow we are essentially do the EXACT same thing, except kid-style!

We have a few tips for smaller people clothing.

Send us BEFORE and AFTER photos of your clothes piles.  I will post mine tomorrow after I finish my husband’s with him tonight.

See you tomorrow.

~Laura

Monday Madness-Conquering the laundry

Today is laundry day, or as it is in my house…MONDAY MADNESS!

I have no idea what happens to our laundry piles between Friday and Monday, but I am convinced that they multiply supernaturally!

All we are doing today is the LAUNDRY.

COLLECT…SORT…WASH…DRY…FOLD…HANG…PUT AWAY

EVERYTHING

If you are working today, do what you can, but the more you get done, the more organized you can be.

For tomorrow:

Tomorrow we are just going to jump right in.  We will be working on all ADULT closets in the house.

If you only have a certain amount of time for laundry today, make sure the ADULT laundry is done first.

Off to finish hanging and folding our 12 LOADS for the day!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Special Sunday-Memories in the making

I hope you had a wonderful Sunday.

I think that you will have a great experience with what we are doing today and the days to follow.

This will only take about 30 minutes, but will literally give you HOURS back in your week!

Here’s how we do it:

STEP #1-GATHER all those supplies we talked about on SUPER SATURDAY. You need your recipe books, a pen and some paper.  If you already have a two week menu plan, you ROCK!  But it never hurts to try a new process or improve on the one you have.  I have experienced this many times.

STEP #2-PLAN-Take each child, one-by-one, and have them choose two dinners that they love to eat(depending on the size of your family, have them choose one to three meals and you and your spouse can choose the rest.)  Then plan them according to the family planner on when that child is available to help make their dinners.  **I also have them suggest breakfasts that they like and would like to try.  **I even have them suggest new lunch items if we need a change up.  This individual planning time is GREAT!  Take the time to talk to them about what they like, how they are doing, and what could change.

STEP #3-MAKE SHOPPING LIST-After you have all the meals chosen and written on your calendar, make your shopping list.  I have a pre-printed list and put checks next to what I need.  You can make a list of your own, or find one online.  This is great for a quick cabinet, pantry and refrigerator check for supplies.  Often I would miss things like vanilla or potatoes in the corner of the pantry.  If you have a pre-typed list you are less likely to miss things.

Here is a great grocery list that I found online at http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1544972&dn=y.

STEP #4-SHOP-Don’t forget to take your list.  If you forgot it, go back home if you live close.  You will spend less with a list and avoid missing ingredients for your upcoming meals.

STEP #5-MAKE THE MEALS AND MEMORIES!  If you have your children and husband help in the making of dinner, they will appreciate the process and the meal even more.  I believe this.  Your children will also learn how to make their favorite meals, making them more self-reliant and self-confident.  Most importantly, you will make meals while having conversations with them that will change your relationship.  Second to bedtime, is the sharing that happens around the making of food in our kitchen that enhance our relationships with each other.  I promise you that you will never forget teaching them to make spaghetti for the first time, or watching them as they ice their first cake.  Don’t miss out on this.

No matter what plan works for your family, DO IT!

If you have a good plan, improve the conversation.  Tell them stories about yourself.  Read inspirational stories during the day that you can share with them. OR JUST LISTEN TO THEM.  I have taught teenagers for years, and the thing that builds the trust and love is all in the LISTENING, NOT THE TALKING!  When you listen, you can be prompted by the Spirit to really hear them and know what to say or not to say.

Have fun!

For tomorrow:

For MONDAY MADNESS we are starting another incredible week.

We are conquering CLOTHES!

So tonight, before bed, have everyone quickly collect their dirty clothes so that you can start on them first thing.

I will try and post early for those of you with all your clean clothes taken care of and put away, put if I don’t, DO ALL LAUNDRY and we will be organizing it ALL WEEK!

Have a great night visiting with your family and planning your two week menu!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Super Saturday-What’s on the menu

Before we start…

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!  BECCA IS OUR WINNER FOR OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY!

Now to Saturday…What’s on your menu for next week?

If you don’t know, we are going to spend the next two days on it.

Today, collect all the recipe books that you love.  Grab the ones with only one you love to the one with more sticky notes than you can count.

Get a pen and paper.

That’s it!

For tomorrow:

Tomorrow, you can spend time with your family planning meals that they love and can schedule time with you in the kitchen.

Can’t wait!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Fast-Fix Friday-Love those laundry baskets

FAST-FIX FRIDAY was more like FREAKY FRIDAY.  It is now 10:40 which is completely appropriate, and on a scale of 1 to 10 of how tired I am, I am a 10 and today was my sweetheart’s 40th birthday and we still haven’t opened gifts!

Long, but great day!

Now let’s get down to business…LAUNDRY BASKETS!

Today is a perfect example of how wonderful these little things are!

Today we decorated at the church in one of those events that we insanely take upon ourselves, and LAUNDRY BASKETS were carried in with frames, scissors, material and even chips and salsa.

Then I went and helped a friend move…and there they were…LAUNDRY BASKETS carrying bathroom supplies, and kitchen items and even…real laundry!

Here are a few ideas of how these $3 pieces of magic can help with more than laundry:

1. They can be used to sort paper. (As we have already learned.)

2. They can be used for quick pick-up.

3. They can hold bags and backpacks in the bottom of a coat closet.

4. They can hold shoes, both clean and dirty, in the garage.

5.  They can be used to quickly empty the car for Saturday clean-out.

6. They can be used to easily transport things in the car.

I would go on and on, but now I am an 11 and I can’t let my hubby fall asleep without me on his birthday!

For tomorrow:

Just a warning…the event that needed SIX hours of decorating today, will happen tomorrow, and need to be put all away, SO tomorrow’s post will not happen until the afternoon.  If you have time planned in the morning, look back on a past Saturday and make sure you have all the previous Saturday posts covered.

***I also will announce the winner of our weekly giveaway.  If you know me, you know that I believe in 2nd chances, so I will still let you guys comment and still be in the running, so DO IT!

Good night organization friends!

~Laura

Therapy Thursday-Magical Music

Our “therapy” question for the day is, “What do you love to listen to?”  Is it Christmas music all year like me?  Or do you love to listen to music that makes you dance?  Whether it is uplifting church music or books on tape, have you put these things in a place to bless your life?

Whether you own one of today’s fancy phones that can hold all the music you love or just a CD player in the kitchen…get your music in a place where it can enrich your life EVERYDAY!

Learn how to put your favorites on an IPod, MP3 player, or your fancy phone.

If you are much simpler than this, take your favorite CDs and tapes and put them near a stereo, so that you can listen to them while preparing dinner or folding laundry.

Whatever it is that answers this question above for you, put it where it can raise your spirits anytime you need it!

Here is something I love to listen to and watch.  Whenever life seems like it is taking its’ toll, I just play this and I am reminded of who I am and what I want to become.  That is one of the blessings of music in our lives.

For tomorrow:

Tomorrow we have one of my $3 favorites.  Don’t forget to tune in!

See you tomorrow!

~Laura

Wrap-up Wednesday-Tapes and CDs

This is just an addition to yesterday’s post in WRAP-UP on the media in our homes.

Today, is TAPES and CDs.

I understand that some of you may not even have tapes anymore, but for those of us that just can’t bear to throw them away, storing them organized is essential.

Here’s how we are going to do it:

STEP #1-COLLECT-all tapes and CDs throughout the entire house.  I checked every child’s room, the CDs in the cars, the office and anywhere else they could be hiding.  You will put them back in the right rooms, but this is a way to have all the media come together and be organized.

STEP #2-SORT-Sort all CDs in one pile and all tapes in another.  I sorted into church music, children’s music, etc.

STEP #3-CHECK all CD and tape cases have the correct media.

STEP #4-WIPE DOWN all containers, shelves, etc that hold the media.

STEP #5-REPLACE all media to the proper spaces.  Note:  I went ahead and vacuumed under where CD towers and tape cases were stored since they are not moved very often.

YOU DID IT!

You have your DVDs, video tapes, audio tapes and CDs all ORGANIZED!  Two quick projects that really only need to be done every 3 months or so!

Here are some pictures of ways you can store CDs and tapes.

 
If you have any great storage ideas for tapes and CDs, email me a picture and we will share it with everyone!

**ONLY TWO MORE DAYS TO TELL US YOUR FAVORITE POST AND HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN AN ORGANIZATION KIT AND CUSTOM FLOWER CLIPS!!

COMMENT TODAY TO QUALIFY!

For tomorrow:

Tomorrow we are going to ask a question and, hopefully, give a solution that will enrich your lives now that your media is organized.

See you tomorrow!

~Laura