Project: Simplify - Week #5: You Decide!!!

Earlier this week, the 5th and final hot spot was revealed over at Simple Mom, I was happy to see that it was "Whatever you want!"  That is kind of what I have been doing anyway, so that worked for me!  As you may know, I thought that Project: Simplify was a great idea, but I did not follow along with the hot spots that were posted each week...I kind of worked on whatever I felt needed to be worked on - which could really have been anything in my house!

Ok, enough about that - have fun in whatever you may be working on this week!  I am actually working on prepping for a (belated) birthday party for my 3 year old! LOTS TO DO!!!

Project: Simplify - Week #4: Pantry and Refrigerator

Yes, I know that it is Wednesday already and I have not written about Project: Simplify - Week #4!  This week, the hot spot that many people are working on is.......your pantry and refrigerator!  If you want to see what is suggested that you do as you work on this hot spot, then head over here and check it out!

For my pantry, I use an inventory checklist that you can find over here at Organizedhome.com.  This is such a helpful tool for me.  I now know exactly what is located in my pantry and do not have to run to the basement to search my cabinet to see if I still have some diced tomatoes left!  My husband is slowly catching on to the concept, but he is embracing this idea with me!  I also use an inventory sheet for my freezers - it is really helpful when planning meals, and avoiding food from getting "lost" in the freezer!

I have not been completely participating in Project: Simplify like I have wanted to - however, I am trying to get things accomplished in my house!

Project: Simplify - Week #3: Toys and/or Kids Clothes

I am SO excited about this week's hot spot reveal on Project Simplify! Week #3 is Toys and/or Kids Clothing! I might actually get it done!!! I will be focusing on kids clothing, not the toys at this moment in time!

Last week, I started to work on sorting through and boxing up the baby clothing that have been in my basement. I have been on a break from sorting the clothes since (about) last Thursday, but I will have to get back to it tomorrow. In fact, I think that I am going to bring up another box of clothing tonight and put it in my family room so that it is ready for me as soon as a wake up...or as soon as I shower & get dressed, help the kids get dressed, and make breakfast - although it might have to wait until after preschool drop off depending on how smoothly the morning runs! In any case - I will get back to decluttering the baby clothes in my house!

I have to say that it has felt really good to pack the clothes away. It has been fun to travel down memory lane a little bit while looking at the clothes, and it has also been really good to practice getting rid of things that are now considered clutter in my home! I will let you in on a little secret...I have been putting aside some of my favorite pieces of clothing and I am thinking of making (or having someone else make) a quilt out of some of the baby clothing fabric. We will see - BUT, only one box will be devoted to the clothing that will be saved! :)

The Big Reveal...Or Not!

Well, the big reveal for Week #2 of Project: Simplify is not going to happen here today! I have had such high hopes to participate in Project Simplify that Tsh is hosting over at her blog, but when I was really thinking about what I needed to start decluttering in my house, I felt like it was the garage and the basement...although I DO need to work on the paper clutter too!

So, this week Dawson and I had a really nice, long talk. It was SO nice to do this again! With everything going on in our lives - helping out my parents, trying to find energy to get dinner on the table and clean something here and there in my house, and now mandatory overtime for Dawson during the month of March - there does not always seem to be a lot of time for us to sit down and have a nice long uninterrupted talk. We talked about so many things - and at one point, I was doing most of the talking; telling him about what has been on my heart and mind. Quite a few things came out of our talk - including what I decided to begin purging/decluttering out of our basement. Let's just say that my sister and I will hopefully make a few bucks this summer at our garage sales selling our baby clothes and other baby items. Yes, we do believe that we are done having children!

So, I may not have participated in this week's Project: Simplify - Paper Clutter, however, I did work on decluttering in my house, and I am ok with this! If you have participated in this Project - then good for you!!! I think that I am going to continue to purge in my basement, but I will post the new parts of Project Simplify, and keep it on my backburner!

Project: Simplify - Week #2: Paper Clutter

So, I STILL did not complete Week #1 of Project: Simplify...but I WILL DO IT! Last week was a busy, not the most motivated, and draining week. This week will also be a bit busy, but hopefully I will get through it a bit better - and make more time to work on the decluttering that I want and need to do!

Today begins Week #2 of Project: Simplify! The Hot Spot to declutter is: PAPER CLUTTER! This is something that I have begun to work on, but still have much more to do. Later this week, I will share with you how I have begun tackling the paper clutter on my breakfast bar - although I still have quite a bit of tweaking to do in this area!

Some other things that I will be learning this week are:

*How long do you need to keep bill "receipts"

*How long do you need to hold on to a store receipt - and what is the best way to store/file it?

*What do you do with the receipts from the bank/ATM?

I think that I know the answers to these questions, but I need to put it into action...and I WILL get rid of the bill "receipt" from 2005 that I still have in my files...I don't think that I need it anymore! (At least it is in a file - right?) :)

You can check out the tools that are suggested this week to help you here. Tsh's basic plan for "Unleashing Vengeance on You Papers" is below:

1. Gather all your loose papers in to one large box — your receipts, your junk mail, your paid bills, the random notes, and even your kids’ scribbles just laying around.

2. Surround yourself with this main box, your recycling bin, your trash can, your “to be shredded” box or your shredder itself, and your “take action” box. Keep a pen or pencil nearby.

3. Start a movie marathon, IF it won’t distract you. Choose a dialog-heavy flick or one you’ve seen a million times (basically, you don’t have to stare at the screen). Inceptionprobably isn’t a good idea. (My sidenote - I would probably choose music instead!)

4. Start at the top, and work through the main box one sheet of paper at a time. If anything needs attention (a bill to be paid, an event to be added to the calendar), toss it in the “take action” box. If anything needs shredding, either shred it immediately or toss it in the “to be shredded” box. Then, deal with its contents when the three-year-old isn’t around to help you shred more than you bargained for.

5. After you’ve emptied the main box, return to the “take action” box and — well, take action.

6. Once all your paper has been processed, create a spot for paper to land where it can be processed weekly from now on. (My sidenote: I have a GREAT idea for this that I will share later this week!)

7. Take steps to minimize future paper clutter (go paperless with your bills, etc.).

8. Rinse and repeat, either weekly or monthly.

Click here to download and print a PDF checklist of this week’s hot spot (find the hidden irony).

Let me know if you are going to join me in this week's project...of if you already have this in order, leave a comment and let me know what works for you! Have fun!

Project: Simplify Week #1 - Not Done Yet!

If you remember from this post, today I was supposed to be posting my before and after photos of my closet after I finished decluttering it.

Well, I have to say that this week was busy, tiring, and not the most "fun", so I have not been able to finish my decluttering. Truth be told, I have only gone through my "things" from "VS" and my sock drawer. I still have all of my clothes to go through. I am hoping to get this done this weekend...before the next project is announced!

So, stay tuned! Getting rid of things that are in good shape is hard for me to do, but I know that I must part with these "things" in order to move in this new direction...and someone else can enjoy the "things" that I no loner use!

Project: Simplify - Want to Join Me?

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am determined to declutter my house. This time of year seems to be the "perfect" time to tackle the clutter in my home, with spring being right around the corner (or so I thought...we have snow on the ground again!) - it is definitely time to do some spring cleaning!

Simple Mom is hosting a five week project to declutter five areas our home. She has called it Project: Simplify. She has revealed this week's hot spot: your wardrobe and closet. It seems simple, but it is a great way to start the project, and it is important to take care of yourself! I agree with her - it is easier to take care of your kids' clothes than your own!

Oh, and one of the rules for participating it to take before and after photos! This should be an interesting task for me to tackle...I still have some boxes of clothes that are in the basement that are labeled "pre-pregnancy" clothes! LOL!!! It is definitely time for me to tackle this area of my life! Want to join me? Check out Simple Mom's blog for more info!

Below is the list that Simple Mom has compiled for attacking our wardrobe and closet. You can find out more information on her blog.

1. Make sure all your clothes are washed and in one place.
2. Set aside all items you already know you don’t want — wearable in the “give” box; unwearable in the “toss” box.
3. Try on all the rest of your clothes — no cheating.
4. Anything that doesn’t fit well, put in a separate pile.
5. Anything that isn’t the right color on you, put in the “give” box.
6. Anything that has un-mendable holes or stains, is unwearable, or underwear that’s seen better days, put in the “toss” box.
7. Once your closet and drawers are empty, clean them.
8. Hang, fold, and put away the clothes you know you’re keeping.
9. Reassess the items in your doesn’t-fit-well pile.
10. Tackle your shoes, jewelry, and other accessories.

I have to say that I am stepping out of my comfort zone to do something like this. However I am excited to be doing this! Let me know if you plan on joining in on the fun!

On the Decluttering Road

I wanted the month of February to be the month that I decluttered my house - completely. I set my goal high, but due to sickness in my family (viruses) and helping out at my parents' house, I did not complete this goal. However, I started!

From what I can remember, I decluttered the following things from my house:

3 bags filled with clothes
1 cardboard box filled with various "things"
1 HUGE TV (we bought a flat screen last December)
1 toddler bed (that we gave to a friend)
we recycled at least 15 cardboard boxes that were in our garage
1 glider - we brought this to my mom's house for her to use (it is on "loan" for now!)

AND

Tomorrow, my MIL is going to watch Smiles while Brady is at preschool (thank you!!!)...and I am going to do some returns that have been sitting around my house since December! My Mom got seriously ill the day after Christmas, so this got put on hold for a while...I have been a little busy!!! I am so excited to finally get this "stuff" out of my house!!

Yes, I get excited about the little things...but to me, it is a pretty big thing! :)

It Started When I Pulled Into My Driveway...

It started when I pulled into my driveway...after we dropped off my 5 year old at preschool.

I looked around our minivan and saw some wrappers, papers, toys, etc. that did not belong in our van, and needed to be relocated.

My 3 year old wanted to shovel the snow.

So, we went inside for a moment, put on gloves and boots on my 3 year old, and we headed back outside in two point two (as my husband would say).

Smiles got busy shoveling the snow from one side of the lawn to the other, riding in his toy car, pulling his wagon around, playing with toys that we are going to get rid of, riding his big wheel, and helping me out too. He was so cute on the big wheel - he pedaled up the driveway (or is it down...well, towards the road) and then took his feet off of the pedals and let himself go flying backwards into the pile of snow - so cute!

I played with Smiles a little bit, but I was focused on cleaning out the minivan...which did not take too long, since Dawson cleaned out some things the other day. In the process of cleaning out the van (and no, I did not vacuum it today!), I opened the garage and saw the 3 bags of clothes and one box of "things" that were ready to go to good will...so, I loaded the van up with those items. It was nice to empty that little area of my garage, so I decided to continue on with my little cleaning/decluttering spree...which led me to boxes.

Boxes. Cardboard ones. We had loads of them in our garage. Most were from things that I ordered for Christmas. Online shopping was awesome this year! But with shopping online, you are left with cardboard boxes. One was turned into a plane; another into, well, I am not sure what it was - maybe another plane. I was forbidden to recycle those, per my 3 year old. However, there were probably about 15 other boxes, of various sizes that needed to be recycled. So, I broke them down and loaded them up in my minivan. You see, today was trash day, and our trash and recyclables were already picked up...and I really did not want those boxes in our garage anymore.

So, I drove them over to my parents house. Their trash day is tomorrow, and the boxes will be gone...along with 3 little trash bags of packing peanuts. Then, our journey continued.

Smiles and I picked up Brady from preschool, stopped by the house to have some late lunch, and we were off...we had one brief stop before I headed to Sal's. I made my first donation there with my kids in the car, watching what I was doing. My 5 year old asked what we were doing there, so I explained to him what donating items was all about. It felt good to let go of those things, and to lighten the "load" that is in my house.

I still have a long way to go...but I have resolved to declutter my house. I have begun, and I don't plan on stopping!

It started when I pulled into my driveway...

...or was it when I asked my husband to wake me up early this morning...

What's For Dinner???

I was doing so well with making my weekly dinner plan a few months ago, but then "things happened" and I got tired and then sick with strep throat, and I got out of the habit...and I LOVE that habit...planning dinner is a GREAT habit to get into!

So, I sit here - for only a few more minutes - with a sad little face, because I do not know what we are going to have for dinner tonight. Well, I actually did decide what we will have for dinner tonight (just made the decision - it will be chicken that is in the freezer that is already in its marinade and maybe couscous, because it is easy to make and a salad and fresh veggies).

My point that I am trying to make, to myself, is that I need to start making weekly (or monthly) plan for dinners so that I do not have to "panic" about what I am going to serve my family in about an hour or so from now! Maybe I will have to plan some more freezer cooking days. I LOVED having meals that were ready and waiting for me to cook in the freezer. One thing that I will have to do different is plan when I will do freezer cooking ...Once a week? Every other week? I have realized that I really do need a plan and schedule in place for myself...it makes my life so much easier!

Well, off to make dinner...and decide what the rest of the dinners will be for this week! :)

Getting Organized: Laundry Week 1 Review

I made it through my first week of my new laundry schedule, and I have to say that I really like it!

Here are the things that I liked about it:

1. I did not have to "think" or "decide" what laundry to do that day - my schedule told me what to do!

2. I would start a load first thing in the morning, and it was usually done and put away by the time that Dawson came home from work!

3. If I needed to do any "extra" loads, I could easily fit it in (such as a heavy comforter that I wanted to store away)

4. I did not have ANY laundry that needed to get done this weekend.

5. The laundry is "piling" up and it is not bothering me one bit - I know when it will get done! (and it is not "that bad" - I only have two children...although they do know how to get their clothes pretty dirty at times!)

6. I made sure that I folded and put away all of the clothes that I washed ASAP - that made it really nice to go to bed at night and not have a pile of unfolded clothes on our bed or in a laundry basket on the floor.

7. I am sure that there are some other things, but I cannot think of anything more at the moment! :)

At the end of this week, I also decided to look back over the week and to evaluate what I could improve about the laundry schedule or anything else that was related to laundry. So far, this is what I came up with:


Improvements Needed:

1. I think that I will have to try out the laundry schedule for a few more weeks to see how it really works for me. Like I said, so far, I really like it!

2. Right now, I have 2 hampers - one for lights/white and the other for darks. I would really like a 3-bin laundry sorter, but I am not sure which one I would like to invest in (because they are not cheap). I want one that is durable and will not fall apart...any suggestions??? (so far I know not to buy one from Target). I want a third compartment for Dawson's dress clothes - it would make it a little easier on me.

Last week, we did not go out too much because Smiles was diagnosed with strep throat, so it will be interesting to see how a busier schedule will impact what time of day that the laundry is done this week. Can I still get it done first thing in the morning, or will it have to wait? I know, the suspense it killing you! LOL Well, I am pretty excited about anything that makes my life a little more organized...it's the little things in life - right? :)

Getting Organized: Laundry

A few months ago, I had the privilege of speaking at our Mom's In Action Group at our church. I spoke about "Servanthood" in the role of wife and mom. I really had a great time speaking with the ladies and sharing with them what God has done in my life and what He is currently doing. One topic that I spoke about was laundry.

Laundry is a job/chore that is never completely done. You may "catch up" one day, but before the night is over, there are tops, bottoms, socks, etc. that are placed back into those empty hampers!!! The piles begin to form, and the mole hill turns into a mountain...if you don't stay on top of it! Sometimes, I have felt like "I just need a break" from doing laundry...unfortunately that break turns into a week or two...or until someone runs out of underwear, or my husband gently tells me that he has nothing to wear to work the next day! OOPS!!! "Are you sure that there is NOTHING that you can wear tomorrow, hunny????" I really do want my husband to look nice the next day at work, so I throw something in the washing machine and notice the piles that are in front of me, waiting for their turn to take a spin in the machine.

There has to be a better way to stay on top of this "chore"...without passing it off to another family member...although that is not a bad idea, however my 2 and 4 year old sons only know how to stuff the clothes into the washer and press the start button...I need to do the soap!

Flylady had a great idea - do one load a day, from start to finish. This means: wash, dry, fold and put away. Great idea, seriously, but somehow, this really did not work for me. (and I really do like Flylady's ideas!). I needed something more, but I did not know what.

Recently, I have been motivated to get more organization in my life and declutter my house so that I can start putting my dreams into reality. I have been praying and asking God to help me in this area - to stay motivated and to give me ideas and inspiration to get these things done, and I believe that he helped me do this!

So, last week, I decided that I need to come up with a laundry schedule that specified what would be washed on each day of the week...and leave the weekends free from laundry! I also decided that I needed to tackle my mountain and "catch up" with all of my laundry...so I ended up doing about 15 loads of laundry! I could not believe it!!! Now, that did included things like winter jackets that were waiting to be washed and stored away and tablecloths and various things like that...but still! WOW!

So, here is a peek at what my weekly list looks like:

Today was the first day, and I was really happy to get through my list and "be done" for the day. Tomorrow is a new day and I will be washing whites/lights...and there is a blanket that I took off of my son's bed that I want to wash and store for the summer, so I think that I will throw that in too.

I am really excited about my new schedule, and it seems like it is something that I will be able to easily keep up with.

So, what will my next organization project be...stay tuned!