TIPS ON KEEPING AN ORGANIZED HOME

One of the questions I'm asked most often is this: How do you keep everything organized and functional for a big family? Or basically: How do you keep from drowning in stuff? ha ha

Well, here is my number one, shocking, genius tip for you: Don't buy the stuff in the first place. (If it's gifted but just doesn't suit your family's needs, pass it along without guilt.)

Let's talk kitchen. I do not have tons of storage in this kitchen so it's imperative that I only hang onto what I love and what works for us. I simply don't have extra drawers for seldom-used items. One thing that does threaten to sink me on occasion is this: party stuff, the candles, decorations, color gels, etc... A long time ago I put all these things in two separate containers (with lids) and I keep them on a handy shelf in the basement. They're there when I need them but not cluttering up my kitchen when I don't.

I wrote this post on organizing just shortly after moving here. Some things in our kitchen look a little different now, but the storage/organization parts look almost exactly the same. I think my favorite tip from this post is the storage capabilities of adding hooks to the insides of cabinet doors. It is THE perfect solution for awkwardly-sized or shaped items that you just don't want taking up space in a drawer; plus, you no longer have to hunt them down and fish them out- they're right there where you need them!

my kitchen organization post

Think outside the box a little when it comes to organizing and storing items. One of the nice surprises in moving here was that the kids' rooms have huge closets, some even with wide shelves on the sides. Since the linen closet has become the designated medicine cabinet, bathroom items/towel storage, and holds most of my cleaning supplies, all the sheets and blankets had to go somewhere else. They are now stored on two of the shelves in one of the kid's rooms, easily accessible and perfectly organized. Don't worry, his closet is as big as mine (and I have to share half!) and he has plenty of his "own" shelves so he doesn't feel infringed upon in the least.  ;)

Look around for those spare areas that can be put to good use. They work wonders in our busy, full household. And don't neglect empty wall space, especially in a basement or garage. Hooks and shelves on these walls are often the workhorse to getting and staying organized, and getting things up and off the floors. Win win. This summer we're revamping our garage storage, so I'll share some before and after photos when we're done; having done this at our old house, I can tell you what a difference having a good system made.

I've got some laundry tips to help you stay organized.

I'm pretty ruthless with toys and sentimental papers. I do have one drawer filled to the brim with special poems, pictures and love notes from my children. Plus I have a few large folders that holds some of their art. But other than that, I part with it. It's the memory I want to hang onto, not the actual item, so I can let it go. (Another great benefit of using a blog as a family journal- it truly helps me keep a record of things that might otherwise have been forgotten.) I used to take pictures of their artwork but have since stopped doing that; now I snap a photo of them holding whatever thing they made or created, if we're not planning on keeping it forever. That way I have both the memory and the visual memento, in more manageable form.

This probably sounds like everything in my house is perfectly situated, where there are no junk drawers or hidden piles of things in the basement I just don't want to deal with... NOT AT ALL. My sewing stuff has the power to take over a room (or two!), the hobbies/sports threaten to sink me on a weekly if not daily basis, there are gadgets that I like to have in my kitchen after deciding that I really don't have a need for them. It's stuff, and lots of it!

Again, I try to be diligent about what I purchase. Bringing it back to tip #1, I guess. Just a couple weeks ago, I was staring into the eyes of the cutest little lavender bunny rabbit, and I knew Isabelle would loooooove it. It was only a few dollars and I snatched it up. But then I got thinking about all the toys she already has, how many of them don't seem special or unique simply because of the sheer volume, and how we can't adequately fit the ones we've already got. There may also be issues about picking up but I won't throw her under the bus about that, ha. So I put the bunny back on the shelf. I'm sure she would have loved getting it in her basket, she would play with it every day...for a while. But then what? Just another toy to find a place for. Her father and I are trying to teach her - and all our children- that the stuff of life isn't what's most important, and it's okay to say no to stuff. Better than okay, even. Tough lesson for a kid, I know, but we've got to start somewhere.

I'm not at all saying that we shouldn't buy toys and things ever again. I just want the things we do spend our money and attention on to matter. I think there's a big difference. It certainly impacts our day-to-day in terms of organization, too.

Okay, now I'm off to make mini-chip pancakes for my lovelies, today is Cookie Friday (woot!) and I promised them all Crepes with Berries & Cream for dessert tonight. Sugar overload, I tell you. We'll have to run laps later.  =)

Perfect Pancakes (adapted to feed 5-7 people)

WHOA! I just looked through my recipes and saw that I don't have our favorite pancakes blogged...I will have to remedy that! So enjoy this blueberry one...

Crepes with Berries & Cream

Double Cocoa Dream Cookies

To see my other kitchen update posts, click HERE and HERE.

Homemaking: Five Simple Laundry Tips

Good Monday morning! Last week I got to thinking about how being a newlywed in today's world is so much different than when I tied the knot back in 1997 (gasp). Between blogs and Pinterest alone, I think I'd have had my entire wedding, honeymoon, first apartment decor, maternity inspiration board, and future baby names (plus homecoming outfits) mapped out all within the first day or two of my engagement.

Sadly, it was not so. And we survived, imagine that.  =)

Anyhoo. I hadn't done much laundry on my own and felt a little overwhelmed when I started washing for two, then three, four...of us. Since lots of my friends ask me about how I stay on top of the laundry (and I don't always) with our large brood, I thought I'd share some tips I've learned along the way. Nothing earth-shattering here, mind you, but I know I always welcome new ideas if they help me run a smoother household.

Laundry Tip #1

Toss your delicates in with the sheets

From silky pajamas to undergarments and pantyhose, they wash well together without fear of catching or snagging on clothing with zippers and buttons, etc.; even the sturdier fabrics can wear and tear those delicate items. Sometimes I do have enough in the laundry basket to warrant a delicate wash, but mostly, I simply toss in a few things here and there when I wash our 5 sets of sheets weekly.

Laundry Tip #2

Save money and cut the dryer sheets in half

Or don't even use one every time

Half the sheet works fine, and it makes that package of dryer sheets last much longer

Laundry Tip #3

Save the hot water washes for dirty socks and germs

Yes, if someone has been sick, their stuff gets washed in hot water. The same goes for muddy socks (speaking from many years' experience here...); normal loads wash well in warm or cold, and many machines now have eco-warm as an option. I do rely on warm washes throughout the winter because the water is simply too cold to be as effective.

Laundry Tip #4

Use a towel or cloth to wipe down the washing machine after each use (or series of uses)

This is especially important with front loaders, as they tend to accumulate gunk and debris in that rubber "lip" in the front. When we had a top-loader, I wiped down the edges and under the rim, just to keep things from building up.

Laundry Tip #5

Establish a routine

I'm not as rigid with my routines as I used to be, but I find that having a set time or day for certain items is key to staying on top of those never-ending laundry piles. Otherwise, there would always be another pile to sort, to wash, dry, fold, to put away...without any end in sight, which nags at me. Having a routine alleviates those frenzied moments of needing something ready that isn't ready, and once things are put away the job feels done, which affects my mood tremendously.

On Mondays, it's clothes, separated into lights and darks; Tuesdays, sheets & towels; and often times I'll need to toss in another load or two of clothes on Thursday.  

I know this would not work for lots of people, which is fine. Maybe Saturday morning or afternoon is the best time, or even one full week day devoted to laundry tasks. 

I like to hang my clothes out on the line as often as I can. The snow has finally melted near my line so I'll be able to do that, weather permitting, this week. Happy happy! 

There are hundreds of recipes for laundry detergent out there. You can read about my homemade powdered laundry detergent HERE. Happy laundering!

Five Things To Do Now To Get Ready for the Holidays

Here are some practical tips for getting in gear for the busiest time of the year, with less stress and lots more joy.

1. Clean your candle holders, vases and other glass/ crystal

These items gather dust like the Boss, and just about every solid surface in our home displays two or three (or twelve) candles and other glass goodies during the holidays. To make them sparkle again, carefully place them on the top rack in the dishwasher and run them through a gentle cycle. Of course, make sure that they're dishwasher-friendly! Lots are! This is one of the easiest things to tackle ahead of time, and nothing twinkles quite like spot-free glass and crystal accessories. Plus, when you're elbow deep in tangled strings of lights and pine needles have found their way to every crevice, it feels so good to have this part already done.

This is also a great time to take inventory of candles, such as tea lights, tapers and pillars. Many are already on sale, and I've found that if I wait for those After-Holiday sales, it's pretty slim picking. Hot pink nativity candle, anyone? Yeah, me either.

2. Vacuum the corners of your ceilings and above door jambs

Not very glamorous, I know, but the holiday season gets so busy and hectic so quickly- no matter how hard I try to not let it!- and this is one thing I don't want to have to deal with during all that chaos. Dangling cobwebs were fine for Halloween. Not so much for Christmas.

Perfectly cleaned homes aren't necessary for friendly get-togethers and meals. We're human, and we have busy lives! Nobody should be judging you, but cobwebs are, well, gross. If you're a regular ceiling corner-vacuumer, then I suppose you've got this covered already.  But I'm not so much anymore, until the thought of some poor guest looking up to find Charlotte and her family perched on my ceiling gives me just enough incentive to do it.

And once that chore is complete, then I can go make a mess in the kitchen with this cutie!

3. Decide on your recipes now and purchase as many ingredients as possible ahead of time (and stick to that list!)

So many recipes for cookies, tarts & pies, rolls & bread, plus festive main course meals, so little time! Pinterest never fails to tempt me with about 1,2000 new treats to try by the time we sit down to Christmas dinner, but choose I must! I have found it best (and less stressful) to plan meals, parties, and even gifts around our favorite standbys, and limit the newbies. 

Of course I love to try new recipes, but I can't reinvent the cookie sheet every night! One or two new recipes throughout November and December is a good goal. Besides, in our family, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without our annual Chocolate Spiders or Chocolate-Dipped Mexican Wedding Cakes!

4. Plant your Paperwhites & other blooms

Okay, so technically these should have been planted last week to ensure blooms for Christmas, but I actually plant mine for New Year's, so phew! I'm safe. There are several varieties of plants and flowers on the shelves now- I swoon over Paperwhites so they're always my first choice- and most require at least 5-6 weeks to sprout and bloom. Plant them now, follow the directions given, and enjoy fresh, fragrant flowers throughout the season.

These Paperwhites are from WalMart and cost $5. All in one kits like this are available at home improvement stores, some drug stores, and other discount stores.

 
My little sickie thought that disc of dirt was the neatest thing to watch after adding the warm water!
We scooped out the soil and placed it in prettier pots, divvying up the bulbs as well. Some years I plant a few one day, skip a couple days, then plant the rest, but...this year it got done in one fell swoop. Or I was afraid it wasn't going to get done at all!

5. Decide what's most important to you and your family, make your plans, and mark your calendars

A little chaos at Christmas time can be exciting and fun; too much, and your body, mind and spirit suffer. Nobody wants to feel overwhelmed and overextended during this most Joyous of Seasons!

Decembers are especially crazy for us because we have two birthdays (the 12th and 15th) thrown in there! Good intentions aren't going to make things go smoothly...we need a plan! And I'm not talking just about attending or hosting parties. We mark our calendars for our annual Family Cookie-Decorating Day, special shopping trips with each of our children, and fun outings like ice skating or skiing. There's time for spontaneous things, too, but without a basic plan, I feel frazzled and unproductive, and those things that we enjoy feel more like boxes to be checked rather than memories in the making.

Furthermore, I'm finding that I need to be super specific about the times I devote to sewing for my shop, Rose & Ruffle, during the holiday rush (thank you, by the way!!!) because I just won't stop until every last order is finished. That can mean I'm tempted to pass on something we might do as a family- which is a horrible feeling-, and that I never have enough time to make special things for Isabelle Kate and the boys. Those things are integral to my daily joy, so I need a plan!

In our family, one of our most important and cherished tradition is the Prayer Basket. Each night during December we gather around the tree and take turns pulling out a name from the basket. Then we pray together for that person, family, school, or country, etc. Someone who didn't get to draw a name chooses a song to sing, and that's how we end our family time together, right before the youngest head off to bed. It's my absolute most favorite thing to do each year.

Taking the time to plan and prepare helps me enjoy things so much more. Like when you're a little kid and you're just bursting at the seams with the wonder and excitement of it all.

For additional ideas and inspiration, check out my boards:
My Christmas Pinterest Board 
My Christmas Breakfast & Brunch Board

Other good Christmas-related reads:
Sarah, from Thrifty Decor Chick, wrote a great post about letting go of the guilt and stress and simply enjoying the season.

Sarah, from the Yellow Cape Cod, shared the secret to decorating your Christmas tree like a pro!

Michelle also wrote about preparing from the holidays on her wonderful blog, Iron & Twine.

Easy Peasy Homemade Laundry Detergent...and it works!!!

 

Last month I rolled up the ol' sleeves and set out to make a batch of my very own laundry soap. Boys get dirty, especially sliding-into-first kinds of boys. Girls get dirty, too. And dogs are gross. I mean, messy. Plus, I've been on a personal mission to simplify, be more self-sufficient, and be more aware and vigilant about the things that we put on our skin and in our bodies.

There are so many great resources online, and I pulled my ideas from lots of terrific blogs and other sites. The only real criterion I had was this: it had to be simple. As in, I wanted to dump the ingredients in and voila!, there would be the finished product. No cooking, boiling, finding pH balances, or any other overly laborious task.

{I figured I should include a picture of the ingredients, but obviously not until after I'd started in on that Fels-Naptha bar...oops!}

Almost every recipe I found called for 1 cup each of BORAX and WASHING SODA. Next, you choose the cleansing agent, or soap. With boys and a dirt-hungry gal, I knew I needed something with a little kick to actually clean our clothes, and since I had just swiped borrowed my Mom's Fels-Naptha bar, I decided to try that.

I had read about the challenges associated with grating Ivory soap by hand, so I had Big Bertha on hand just in case. 

 Big Bertha, say hello to everyone. Everyone, Big Bertha.

As it turned out, I didn't need her. Sorry, Bertha. The Fels-Naptha bar grated so smooth and powder-fine on the smallest grater "holes," it was perfect for use just as it was. I stopped at about 1/3 of the bar since it's a big one, figuring I'd used enough (translated, my arm was tired) and mixed everything together with a big spoon. I really liked the scent, but then got to thinking, and decided to add a dash of Ivory soap for good measure. 

And, well, yup...that didn't grate so smoothly.

 No big deal. It probably only totaled a tablespoon or two, but it did add such a nice fresh scent, so it was a win-win. (By the way, our clothes smell like heaven after they've hung out on the line all afternoon. Who doesn't want heaven-y smelling clothes?)

I didn't have a covered container to spare, but I think this looks even nicer, especially since it sits on the windowsill near my laundry closet. I was a bit worried that the powder might clump in the open air, but it has been over a month now, and it's still perfect. I use a heaping spoonful with this old camping spoon for each regular load, a tad extra for baseball uniforms and such.  =)

                      Here's another helpful hint for front loading machines: when using powder of any kind, start the wash with the warm or hot water setting and on the longest or heaviest load setting, so it begins to spin immediately. I find this helps to dissolve the powder better so, in turn, it works better to clean your clothes. If I'm doing a regular load, I adjust the settings back to cold water and regular wash after about 15-20 seconds. I almost always wash and rinse in cold water, and starting off each load this way really helps boost the powder's efficiency.

I have noticed two things about this homemade detergent. First, at times traces of deodorant smell linger, like it doesn't completely dissolve the scent. It gets our work-out clothes smelling good, so it does remove body odors well. Second, if the socks are really really soiled, this doesn't get them whiter-than-white by any stretch of the imagination. I think I may beef up the Fels-Naptha for the next batch, or experiment with Oxy-Clean, or even add more Borax to that specific load. If those are my only complaints, I'm still happy.

 While I didn't set out to make my own detergent primarily to save money, I think it really does save in the long run. What matters most to me is knowing exactly what is in the detergent, and ultimately what's spending hours and hours against my family's skin. Plus, it seems to be better for our environment too, and that makes me feel like a good steward of our earth.

To recap, here is the recipe I made:

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Washing Soda
• 1/4 - 1/3 Fels-Naptha bar, finely grated
• 1 - 2 tablespoons Ivory soap, finely grated

Happy laundering!

Organizing the mess under the sink without spending any money!

I've been staring down the same few places in our home that have been driving me crazy, trying my best to ignore them, wishing them clean and organized.

Well, the under-the-sink fairy didn't get the memo. Or take the hint. And the mess just got bigger and bigger and bigger!

So while some adorable people (& pets)... 

 ...were soaking up the sunshine, I got to work!

Enter Exhibit A:

Gross.

Exhibit B isn't looking so hot, either.

I actually had 2 goals in mind for tidying up these spaces- the obvious, tidying up; and...I wasn't going to spend one penny on new boxes, containers, bags, things that attach to the doors- nothing! - because I knew I had some things in the basement that weren't being used.

The main problem under the sink was lack of containment. Bottles, cleaners, detergents and such were all just thrown in there without any real home. Not to mention, the stuff in the back that I always forget is there, so I buy more. And more. Of the same thing.

Emptied out.

Okay, now that's really gross!

But this is better, right?

See that white garbage bag holder in the front?

It's an old (as in, dried up, yellow wipes inside) Clorox wipes container- fits perfectly!

Those empty bottles won't be empty for long...I'm not replacing any cleaning products after these run out so I'll be forced to make my own non-toxic, natural ones. This time I'm sticking with it!

As for the hall closet...

Ahhhh, so much better! The only things I got rid of in here were a green frog humidifier, some old hot rollers, and one expired anti-itch medicine, so I was pleased about that. I've been trying so hard to only buy what we need to avoid having to toss stuff out.

 Bill and I don't have an extra drawer for washcloths & hand towels, so we put ours in the closet. It works for us.

I keep dusting cloths with the "Swif-ter" (according to Caleb, ha) stuff, and as much as I'd love a sleek container to hold all those bags we re-use for trash can bags, nothing has ever worked up there except a big ol' bag o' bags. The kids take care of the trash, so why ruin a good thing?

Those extra tubs above will get brought down to the porch for foot-washing duty pretty soon, ha!

This is how I keep medicine and other necessities organized. I sort like items (band-aids, gauze, ointment, etc) and assign them to a small box. It's great because you can simply pull out the box you need, get your stuff, and put it right back. Everything's right there, nice and neat.

I have one other box for adult medicine, and one for children's. In the middle of the night when you're exhausted and facing an emergency, it helps to reach for the box of kid stuff and know everything in there is safe for them. That's also where I store the thermometer and covers. I've learned to stick with the basics, such as Tylenol, Advil or Motrin, Vick's Vapo-rub, Benadryl, cough drops, and that saline stuff that gets water out of your ears (I can't remember the name of it!). There's very little to throw away since I don't "stock up" anymore.

I didn't include a before shot of the kids' bathroom, but this is the after. I found another large container in the basement that is now holding the cotton balls, Q-tips, and soap. The green container holds extra hand soap and dog shampoo. No more stuff just "floating" around!

 I use the same container system with all our toothbrush stuff. It's easy to tell when we're getting low because it's all right there...though going to the dentist so many times each year for cleanings keeps us pretty well stocked!

Nice and tidy, just the way I like it.
Now I'm off to start dinner...I think my food cabinets are next on the list!  =)

Another {Happy} Whirlwind of a Day

I just can't seem to catch up!  Or at least, stay caught up!  I began this post last week, so some of the details are a bit...off.  That's okay, the sentiment is the same.

This was a very big week for us- a new Bible study for me, which means a fun play group for Isabelle Katie; and....the very first day of preschool!  Wow!  And I'm feeling a bit more "settled in" with our routines, so that right there puts a big ol' smile on my face.  I think this is going to be a great year for our family!

I'm going to want to remember these days, so I'm going to post chronologically, as if I were keeping track in my appointment book.  Here goes! (rather, went- this was Monday...well, LAST Monday, ha!)

• 4:38 am- I know the alarm is ready to sound in just a few minutes, so I turn it off and linger with my thoughts and prayers for a few moments before starting the day.

• See Bill off to work and check email and/or work on the novel for a while

• 5:30ish- Already fretting in my head about Isabelle's first day of school outfit, again, while assembling lunch boxes; then sweep and mop the kitchen, hallway, and half bath floors 

• 6:00- Shower, think about shaving but don't really feel like it (it was cold enough for pants, whew!); make bed, gather more laundry to be done (7 loads in total that day)

• 6:25- First round of wake-ups (J), but he looks so cute sleeping on Teddy, who is supposed to be beside the bed now because I fear he has reached Level 4 Bio-hazard status and I cringe when I think of Jonah inhaling that stuff for hours on end...but my heart melts and I give him another few minutes to rest with his reliable old pal.

•  6:40- Jonah has been lured to the kitchen with the announcement of homemade egg McMuffins and Dinosaur Teeth (carved triangles in melons, to get the boys to eat them when they were small); Caleb is rising, making his bed, getting dressed, and will be down to take his seat for breakfast in about 3 1/2 minutes.

I love that they still love (and request) Dinosaur Teeth cantaloupes!

•  Morning progresses...teeth brushed, lunches handed out, hugs given...J leaves, twenty minutes later it's raining again, and Caleb wants me to walk him down, so off we go; I hear Isabelle upstairs but know she will be fine for a couple minutes.

• I return home and hear Isabelle giggling with Ethan, who is now just getting up; more breakfast, dishes cleared and cleaned, cats fed, a few more minutes of blog-stalking -checking, then Ethan is off with lunch and hugs; now it's just Isabelle and Mama for the next several hours.

I told Isabelle she is such a big girl now, she can try to sit at the counter like the boys do~

I don't know why she made that face, silly girl!

• We sort laundry and get started with one load, two loads, three then four, all the while, removing summer shirts and things from drawers and putting them in the storage bins, still contemplating preschool outfits (why all the fuss, I wonder, but fuss I do!), grabbing the Disney compilation CD so we can dance while we work; major hissy fit ensues when I'm commanded to get down "dance class pretties" - we don't command Mama to do anything, thank you very much...but Mama does give multiple chances to ask the right way, and after only four tries (sigh), Isabelle is now flitting around in her tutus and tights.  Happiness.

• Laundry takes a while (the last load was finishing up when the first two came home from school!), the cold rain kept us inside, so we played and worked all morning long- someone fixing things in her kitchen while I tackled the Big One; then off to clean the bathrooms and dust and vacuum- FUN!

 We were trying out the first day of school ensemble- or half of it anyway!  So glad I went with the argyle socks!

• Many days we enjoy a picnic lunch and a long walk through the neighborhood, but not today with the rain.  Isabelle isn't as thrilled about these walks anymore because she'd rather be walking too, and I make her sit in the jogger- no fun!  (If she's cooperating, she gets to eat an apple or something and walk for a while before being sent to confinement!)  Even if she isn't happy at first, she comes around and enjoys looking out for squirrels and birds.

Sometimes this happens on our walks, ha!

• More play time, tidying up, sorting and folding...and naptime!  This is when I try to remember to spend a few minutes being quiet, spending time with God, but I have to be honest and admit that this is so hard for me!  I am not disciplined in this area like I used to be, and I've noticed what an (negative) impact it has on my life.  There are so many other things I feel like I should be doing, and even more, that I want to be doing.  Even typing that out hurts my heart and fills me with grief- why wouldn't I want to spend my time with the One who has given me life, given me everything?  I'm trying, but it's still a struggle.  This new Bible study is going to help a lot!  Though now that Isabelle doesn't nap every day, and school is 2 afternoons each week, I may have to rethink when I do my Bible Study work.

• Before I know it, I'm back in the kitchen making snacks- graham crackers with peanut butter and chocolate chips- for Jonah and Caleb, who will be returning him in a few minutes; then Isabelle will be up; Ethan isn't home until 4 this year (though he's loving the later mornings)!

• There is much "refereeing" after school, homework duty, dinner prep, and all that.  By now most of the laundry is neatly stacked in distinct piles- if I weren't so...I'll call myself orderly rather than anal, though you can decide for yourself, ha!...then I'd make it easier on myself and have the kids put away their own things, but this actually stresses me more than simply doing it myself.  I don't mind; one day I won't have this "job," and I'll miss it.

• Big snack for Ethan, who is on his way to soccer by 4:20 (it's a good thing he is so wonderful about time management and completes most of his homework at school during homeroom time!); Jonah starts dinner early and leaves for soccer at 5:20; whichever parent is here eats with Isabelle and Caleb, and with Ethan later.  Whew!  Are you tired yet?  :)

• Showers, stories, snuggles, prayers and goodnight kisses begin around 7 pm.  Most nights the younger three are in bed around 7:45; Ethan gets to linger a while and often heads up around 8:15 to read for a few minutes.  I know this might seem early to lots of people, but it works for us and keeps us {relatively}sane.  Plus, it's the only time I get to talk to Bill without interruption!

 And then on Tuesday we had the completely unexpected surprise of bringing home the sweetest little kitty!  I brought him to school to meet up with Caleb and Jonah, then off to preschool to show Isabelle.  I think that day might go down as one of the best coming-home-from-school days EVER!  He makes our days so much more fun!

Caleb sees something...

He's running onto Jonah's bus (from the other school) to call him off for the surprise!

Isabelle was SO excited!!!

Love his expression here!

And now he (finally) has a name...Luke

Isn't he sweet!?!

I hope one day I'll look back on this post and be able to remember all the details of our life so clearly.  And I'll be so glad I captured as much of it as I could!

Organizing Tips

Hi, and welcome to my blog for this week's 

ORGANIZATION TIPS!

I'm a busy mother of four (including three very active and involved-in-tons-of-stuff young boys), so organizing isn't a luxury for me- it's a must!

I'll keep it very simple, as I think good organization should be....simple
I rely on the following things to keep our home running as smoothly as possible

• a color-coded family calendar
• a reliable cleaning schedule
• a simple weekly meal plan/menu
• a willingness to purge, often and ruthlessly
• easy storage for special items like love notes & pictures
• designated places for keys, mail, toys, crafts, etc.

Our normal-sized (those ginormous ones always call out to me in the store, but I can never make them work!) calendar hangs in our main hallway from the kitchen to the garage so we can all catch a glimpse as we exit our home; each person is assigned a specific color to keep track of practices, music lessons, appointments and such...right now, we aren't yet in the thick of sports, so I can get by with simply writing an initial, but once practices and games are involved, I go right back to colors to keep everything straight.

A few years ago if you asked me what I'd be cleaning at 3:18 on a Tuesday afternoon, I would've been able to tell you exactly, without even hesitating!  Okay, so maybe I would have hesitated, but I had set up such a stringent routine for myself that I felt completely dictated by my cleaning expectations.  I grew resentful, and then I didn't enjoy making our home clean and healthy, which is the whole point!  

I decided to focus my attention cleaning and sanitizing the rooms we spend the most time in- kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms, and now that our children are older, they are responsible for certain cleaning tasks as well, which is such a huge help for me and a source of accomplishment for them!  (I try to heap on the praises to keep them motivated- their future wives will thank me, ha!)  I regularly clean and tidy up the other rooms in our home, but the occasional wayward couch pillow or left over toy don't send me into panic mode anymore.  I think deciding which spaces to really focus on helped me streamline effectively, so you have to decide for yourself what matters most in your home.

Maybe it's just me, but even something as simple as having the clothes baskets in my closet designated for darks and lights helps me considerably.  There is also a hamper in each child's room.

I use one blank 3x5 index card and write out breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for each day of the week, and then post the card on the fridge- this dictates my shopping list.  Easy peasy!  I even stick it over a pretty piece of 4x6 scrapbooking cardstock so it looks more appealing than a plain white index card.

School papers can be the death of me, seriously!  So Much Stuff!!!  Anything that doesn't get recycled immediately gets put in a folder, and special keepsakes in ziploc bags until we sort through them in summer.  (I keep a yearly manila folder with these keepsakes for each child.)  Papers like permission slips and such get sent back to school asap so they aren't laying around my kitchen (AFTER dates are written on the calendar of course).

As mentioned above, labeled manila envelops and folders work great for special items; before digital camera days, I relied on ziploc bags to store favorite pictures designated for memory books or scrapbooks- now of course I can simply keep them online, printing only what I need, and when.  I still haven't caught up with my albums, though- I'm a traditionalist at heart when it comes to "real" albums.  I also use labeled ziploc bags to keep the birthday letters I write my children each year- otherwise they end up tossed in some drawer, or worse, lost.  I promise, I haven't been endorsed by ziploc, but those bags are so versatile and AWESOME!

:)

I limit the toys in my children's bedrooms (we have different play areas elsewhere in the house), so it's much easier for them to be responsible for their own things.  Well, that was the plan...ha!  For the most part, they do a great job, but it can be such a slippery slope when I let things slide (totally unintended pun!).  We also have a garage sale corner set up in the basement where we put retired toys, and I give too small clothes to friends and neighbors on a continuing basis.  I even make a little cash selling some of Isabelle's things on eBay once every season.  I'm even getting better at not running right out and "refilling" the empty closet spaces and cubby holes, which also makes it easier to stay organized.  Since we live in an area with varying seasons, we use large plastic bins to store seasonal clothes.  Let me tell you I am just itching to drag out those summer boxes, but we could still see snow in the next few weeks!  I hear we're in for a lovely Easter weekend, though!!!!!

The one thing I can't master?  LIBRARY BOOKS!  I'm not kidding you!  I've tried using baskets, keeping the books in each child's room, designating a spot for them in the upstairs hallway...nothing works!  They float around the house, get lost under couches and slip down beside the beds, argh!  All in all, I guess I prefer that they're reading, but still...    :)

Lastly, I try to keep like-minded things together.  We have a great desk/hutch that houses stamps, address labels, an assortment of thank you, birthday, get well, etc. cards, and envelopes on the top, and arts and crafts on the lower half.  I also use a sofa table in my kitchen because its slender size fits perfectly in the somewhat cramped space- it's a fantastic message center!  We have a small, decorative metal "pocket" in our busy hallway which holds the mail and circulars- then bills go straight to our desk caddy; junk goes into the recycling, and invitations and such get marked on the calendar immediately so I can recycle them- it saves tons of space!  Our keys get hung in this hallway as well since it was the most logical place to keep track of them.  And what doesn't "belong" always looks nicer in a pretty bowl!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I'm looking forward to reading about organizational tips from other readers so I can get even more ideas!

Have a blessed Good Friday

& a wonderful Easter!