Back To School Tip

Let me first say that me and organized don’t usually belong in the same sentence, but for 3 school years now this system has totally worked for me, so that’s gotta say something.

I have 3 kids, one that is off to college and twin middle schoolers. Over the years we’ve evolved how we handle homework in our house. We have discovered that what works best for us is to have everyone working at the kitchen table together. Then mom and dad are close by if they need help and there are less distractions. (this post contains affiliate links)

This however created a problem in the kitchen.  It seemed I always had pens, pencils and paper all over the table even after they were done.  A couple of years ago, I got the idea to create a Homework Station on my kitchen table.  Everything they need contained in one place and it’s easily moved out of the way when needed.

How I Easily Organized My Junk Drawers

We all have them, no one is immune. That one or two drawers that everything gets put into when it doesn't have a home. I happen to have a few of these drawers in my house, and here is the proof!

This is one of the 'junk' drawers in my kitchen. Do you remember those cute I Spy books that you would spend hours looking at when you were younger trying to find all of the items in the picture? Well that's how I felt every time that I would open this drawer. I could never find what I was looking for. I keep my instruction manuals for all of my appliances in this drawer and it had become so over run with 'stuff' that they would always fall out the back of the drawer into the cupboard below. There are playing cards, wax for candle warmers, push pins, a light bulb, a golf ball, lots of magnets that I made, and even garbage! It was pushing me over the edge every time that I needed something and I couldn't find it because this is what I had to deal with, so......

Can I get an AMEN! I am new to the de-junking thing and getting rid of unnecessary things that just bog me down and clutter up my life. My sister-in-law Heather (you can check her our at her blog here)was in town this past week and helped me get started on cleaning things out and de-cluttering my home. At first it was hard, like ripping a bandage off real slow. It stung and the hoarder in me had a hard time letting some things go, however as we kept going it became freeing and I soon became excited to go through my whole house. 

I am not a professional organizer at all and Heather had gone home so I decided that I would try something small to start off with. Baby steps. And this is what I came up with.

Ah so much better! It is so nice to be able to get into this drawer and be able to find things. My kids get into this drawer all of the time to find batteries and odds and ins and now they can find things easily and without destroying everything.

How To Have A Perfectly Clean House All The Time … or something like that.

I’ve already confessed to you that I didn’t know how to do my own laundry until I went to college, so you’ve probably figured out that I didn’t really know how to clean either. I always kept my own room spotless, so I kind of figured out vacuuming and dusting, but I had absolutely no idea how to load a dishwasher or clean a toilet when I moved out of my parents house. Still, what happened in my growing up years made me the way I am today, someone who teaches thousands of people (a day) how to clean and organize their homes –

My mom is the cleanest person I know, except for her mother. My mom vacuumed every single day, had a love affair with laundry, did the dishes after every meal, her counters were always cleared off and clean, and she had a ritual of cleaning out her purse every night. Until I went and stayed with my grandma one summer, I thought I knew what it was like to live with a very clean person. I remember my grandma and I walking by her kitchen sink together, when she paused to wipe a small little water stain on the sink with her finger that I never was able to see in the first place, and then we kept walking on as if that had been a totally normal thing to do. I started to notice then that these two women in my life were different than most. Neither of them ever really asked me to lift a finger, but I learned a lot from watching them – like what hard work looked like and especially that I really liked living in a clean house.

Read full article here.

200 Things to Throw Away

Living with less isn’t about the number of things you get rid of it’s about living with enough to be content and getting rid of the rest.  The rest is just clutter, unnecessary, energy-draining clutter.

Here is a list of 200 Things to Throw Away.  This list isn’t a list of things that I have gotten rid of myself but of things that I want to will get rid of!

I’ll be tackling this list ten or so items a week and I look forward to a less-cluttered house at the end of it.

As you look ahead at this list I want you to remember two things:

1.) Remember you can sell, donate, recycle or throw away.  Knowing that I’m allowing someone else to enjoy my things makes it easier for me to let them go. (Edited to add that the comments are full of great places to donate items.  Schools were by far the most recommended location.)

2.) Keep things that make you feel good.  If it doesn’t make you feel happy when you look at it, get rid of it quickly.  Surround yourself with things you enjoy.

Now on to the list:

1.  Old product boxes (Apple products, TV, etc.)

2.  Hangers from the dry cleaners

3.  Plastic hangers from the store

4.  Expired make up

5.  Half-finished projects…you know the one!

6.  Magazines (Try a free month of online magazines and see how you like those!)

7.  Old emery boards (buy a nice glass one and be done with those scratchy things!)

8.  Old paint (Visit Earth911.com to find a place to dispose of it safely)

9.  Ugly undergarments you hate to wear (You have those “just in case” pairs too, right?)

10.  Bills, taxes, paperwork over 7 years old

11.  Socks with holes or without mates…also those lonely socks that have holes too. 

12.  Extra cups and mugs – How many does your family use in a regular dishwasher load?  Add a few more for company and be done with the rest.

13.  Books you’ve never read or will never read again

14.  Old technology (8 tracks, floppy discs, VHS tapes w/o a player, etc.)

15.  Unloved toys

16.  Cleaning rags – You only need a few before you’ll wash them again, right?

17.  Tea light candles – Use them or lose them.

18.  Take out menus you never look at

19.  Old greeting cards (Save the super sentimental ones and recycle the rest)

20.  Outdated over the counter drugs and vitamins

21.  Old sneakers (Recycle through Nike)

22.  Plastic cutlery

23.  Old spices – Spices don’t actually spoil but they lose their potency.  A good rule of thumb is 1-2 years for seasoning; 1-3 for herbs and ground spices; and up to 4 years for whole spices.

24.  Duplicate power cords (USB, etc.  We have 3 vTech ones for the kiddos’ toys but only need one)

25.  Bobby pins

26.  Games with missing pieces

27.  Dried up nail polish bottles

28. Video games you’ll never play again

29.  Recalled baby items (Car seats, cribs, etc.)

30.  Jewelry you don’t wear

Read the full article here... 200 Things to Throw Away

7 Tips To Organize Your Home Using the KonMari Method

I want to share with you a book that has absolutely changed my life. It’s called The Life Changing Magic of Tidying: A Simple, Effective Way To Banish Clutter Forever by Marie Kondo, the creator of the KonMari Method. As the title says, this is a very simple (though not easy) way to get to the root of your clutter problem and help you to resolve it once and for all: If you don’t love it, don’t keep it!

Piles of stuff in our homes are one of the greatest stress triggers. Clutter literally increases your cortisol level! When we have a lot of clutter in our homes, it has the affect of distracting us and can even cause chronic restlessness. When you reduce the noise of the things around you, you can focus on creating your life.

For most of us, clutter accumulates over time. We don’t notice how much stuff we are accumulating until we hit a breaking point. Sometimes it’s a major life event — such as a move, death, marriage or divorce, or even changing jobs – that forces us to declutter so that we can move on free from the weight of objects that have outlived their usefulness to us.

What Does Your Clutter Symbolize?

Everyone’s tolerance for clutter is different. But, like imagery in dreams, there is a psychology to clutter. Where your clutter is located in your home says a lot about you. Here are some examples of what cluttered rooms may mean in your life:

• Living and Dining Rooms: These are your main entertaining rooms. Clutter here may mean you are hiding your true self from the world
• Kitchen: The kitchen is often where we dump everything from our daily lives — mail, electronics on chargers, from purses and school bags to dog bowls, vitamins and many other items from our daily lives. All of this clutter in the kitchen can make it difficult to truly nourish yourself and your family
• Hallways: These are the connectors between rooms and represent your ability to flow. Cluttered hallways may mean your life’s path is not clearly defined or thought out
• Bedroom: Clutter in your boudoir may make you feel “wired and tired” and may inhibit intimacy with your partner
• Bathroom: The bathroom is where we pamper ourselves and prepare to face the world. Think about all the products under your sink that you never use. Clutter in this room may mean you lack self worth
• Closets: Closets represent that which is hidden from view. If we stuff our closets we block our ability to use our insight and intuition to “see into” ourselves and situations
• Attic: Attics are typically where we squirrel stuff away that we no longer use or are “saving” for someone or a future event. These things are potentially the most complicated. Attics symbolize our connection to the past and families or ancestors, and also to our higher selves. When you fill your attic with unwanted items, you literally have “stuff hanging over your head” that can make it difficult to resolve issues from your past and grow
• Basement: Like attics, we often look to basements for storage of unwanted or unused items. As in dreams, basements represent the subconscious mind. A cluttered basement can blunt your intuition
• Garage: Cars represent our independence and ability to get around. If there is so much clutter in your garage that you can’t get your car in and out easily, you may feel difficulty moving forward in life

Read the full article here... 7 Tips To Organize Your Home Using the KonMari Method