More Than A Mom

Daughter's Room

2012-02-02T14:30:00.042-05:00

Isn't it amazing how one day all of the kids toys are "special" and so they creep into their bedrooms where nobody else can find them? Ava has a toy hammock in her room where we store stuffed animals and dolls. Today I took a big bag of stuffed animals from my daughter's room and put them in the daycare area. I also put her smaller toys in the bottom drawer of her dresser. It's easily accessible AND off her floor. This is just a temporary solution until I clean out her closet and then decide on a toy box or other idea to store her special items in one space but also to keep it minimized. I also have my eye on one or two of the Ikea spice racks for putting books that are at her reading level. This will take them off her desk and make it more ready for her to choose to read before bed. I'm still working on ideas of the other toys.

I did organize Travis's toys but it seems there may still be too many. The kids go in there and it becomes a disaster. There is currently a low but wide bookshelf in his closet that I am considering moving to the play room to store larger toys. With that gone I'd like to move his toy containers in there so I can just shut the door when they are not in use. I think this will help calm him before bed too. I always feel calmer with an empty room. Does that work for children too?

The good thing about starting from the top of the house and moving down is that all of the items that I don't know what to do with or that are overflow are going into one spot (the basement). This will make it much better to take a true inventory of what is in excess and to declutter it. This is specifically evident with the daycare toys. It's hard not to jump ahead to the basement but I know that it will all work itself out and that I need to be patient - we didn't clutter the house in one day (more like over one Christmas and one winter birthday with one more to come!).

I finally got the 2.5 foot Christmas trees taken down from the kids rooms and their bathroom. We put them up late so I thought I'd leave them up a little later. It's ONLY February 2nd! They are still sitting at the top of the landing waiting to be brought to the basement though. And then I still need to collect small Christmas art from the kids and go through all the Christmas bins. It seems it keeps getting more and more each year. As each holiday happens this year I'll go through those bins and hopefully have one bin for all "other" holidays plus a few for Christmas. I don't even know how many we have right now for Christmas but I would like it to be three if I can.

I am further motivated by a challenge the Diabetes Association has set. I get their calls for home pick-ups of unwanted items. They are coming next Wednesday, February 8th. They told me that if I donate three large bags or boxes then my family will be entered in to win a Disney family vacation. They had me at "donate 3 large bags or boxes"! It's nice to have a goal even if it has left me feeling a wee bit panicked to get it all together in time.

Oh, and I have Ava's 2006 baby keepsake book done plus I have a second book of keepsakes up until 2010 for her. I also purchased a baby book to do for Travis (2008) and I've organized his keepsakes to present to start on after that. It is nice to see the bin where I had stored all these "what do I do with them keepsakes" get emptier and emptier.

How is your home organizing coming this year?

Take-It-For-Free Tuesday - FREE E-Scrap Designer Pack #10

2012-01-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

In follow up to my Share the Memories MyMemories Suite software giveaway earlier this month, I'd like to start a "Take-It-For-Free Tuesday" post.

On Tuesdays I will have a FREE Designer Pack for you to download! It will be available for one week.

These are .png files only, not MyMemories Suite Templates. They are usable in any software for everyone!! These freebies include 2 Quick Pages, and all of the papers and elements used in creating them. The elements and QuickPages are.png and the papers are .jpg format.

http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_3

If you are interested in purchasing the My Memories Digital Scrapbooking software, use this code STMMMS5200 and get $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!

Financial Priorities

2012-01-30T09:30:00.057-05:00

This January 2012 has brought home organizing and financial goals/priority-setting to my attention.

In September 2009, I wrote a summary of how to Becoming Financially Independent and I used that when I first started. I review this annually to make sure we are on track for our debt repayment and other financial goals. This year, I may consider setting a percentage of paying off a loan goal to further motivate us.

I was looking back and some posts and I saw that in November 2008 I had set out a 5-year budgeting plan for paying off student loans. We paid off the last one in May 2011. According to my calculations, that is only 2.5 years that it took to pay-off the loans ... half the original budgeted time - talk about motivating! I believe because I set out the plan and we used every extra cent to put toward the loans made it go faster. I also minimized payments on all but the one with the highest interest rate and then rolled over that payment plus the minimum payment to the next in line, and so on and so forth until they were all paid off.

Moving forward, I'm unsure whether we should designate an account with a specific savings plan (e.g. my husband will be needing a car within the next 6 months or perhaps sooner if it doesn't lasts that long) and, if so, how much to put in it per month, or maximizing our payments to pay the loan with the largest interest rate or somehow combine the two.

What would you do and why? How do you balance savings versus maximizing payments on a loan?

Paused Purge Urge

2012-01-29T09:30:00.000-05:00

I managed to go through Travis's toys and clothes drawers. I did clear out his main closet and donated two large diaper boxes and a large wipes case worth of clothes and other random items I found in there. I know I'm going to have to go through the closet again but I ran out of motivation. There is also the other closet which holds "other" items that I have no idea where to move/what to do with. I really need to strike those two closets while the purge urge is strong. I admit it, I'm a bit tired but I know that of all the items that are out of the house I feel much better for and I haven't missed a thing that I donated. So why the hesitation? I think I'll continue to read some declutter/organization blogs and books to get my purge-on again.

What do you do to motivate you to continue with a project? It does not need to be limited to decluttering or organizing.

Menu Plan ~ January 29-February 4

2012-01-28T08:00:00.002-05:00

Sunday ~ Steak, Baked Potatoes, Asparagus
Monday ~ Grilled Pork Chops, Potatoes, Corn or Peas

Tuesday ~ Waffles, Eggs

Wednesday ~ Pork & Black Bean Chili (pg 101), Cornbread

Thursday ~ Leftover Buffet

Friday ~ Pizza, Soup or Salad

Saturday ~ Sloppy Joes, Corn, Salad

Check out more menus at Org Junkie.

Take-It-For-Free Tuesday - FREE E-Scrap Designer Pack #9

2012-01-24T08:00:00.003-05:00

http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_1

Son's Bedroom

2012-01-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

Amazing how the bedrooms become a holding place for "special" things. Since I have a home daycare this is especially an area to watch because my children are to put all toys they do not wish to share there. Some days we don't want to share anything, it seems. I started with my son's toys and books and have a good pile of books to give away plus I have managed to re-dedicate some of the toys that can be part of the daycare (which I will further sort when I get to the playroom). I know from cleaning my room what it feels like to have it all cleared out so I can only imagine how it will feel for him to be able to see his truly special possessions more clearly.

I am a little nervous about his closets but at least the doors hold back what is in there ... for now.

Organizing Update

2012-01-22T14:30:00.004-05:00

I feel like I have accomplished a lot so far in getting the house organized. There have been several bags of things donated to date. I love to just walk into the rooms that have been decluttered (master bedroom, bathroom and closet) and just sit, enjoying the "nothing" and cleared space.

I am keeping my motivation and have big plans to move more out of the house as I venture into the other rooms and see all of the stuff just sitting there. The kids rooms, art supplies and play room are the big ones but I'm itching to get into all the cupboards of the kitchen as well as clear papers in the office that I have been slowly taking over as my craft room. As I'm in a room I am setting items that don't belong there into their new place until I can organize it better. For example, does my son need my fabric in his closet? It worked well before the craft room but now that I have the designated room I'll be moving it all into one space. This is also helping me plan what projects I want to tackle and what I will never get to. I also have plans to use the kids baby blankets and make some memory quilts for them.

I'm decluttering during the week day afternoon quiet times and am trying to stick to a room at a time. It's so easy to want to start everywhere but I know that won't give me the same sense of accomplishment and it would only leave things messier until I organize them. Weekends are for crafting and catching up on those projects. I am also finishing Ava's baby memory book from 2006. I work on that in the morning when the kids are in programs. It feels great to see that bin emptying and I'd like to present it to her for her birthday in March. I feel I'm well on my way to getting it done.

What are you proud of having accomplished recently?

Menu Plan ~ January 22-28

2012-01-21T08:00:00.012-05:00

Sunday ~ Fish, Veggies, French Fries
Monday ~ Ham, Honey Glazed Carrots, Scallop Potatoes (pg 230)
Tuesday ~ Crockpot Tacos (pg 138)
Wednesday ~ Hungarian Potato Soup (pg 52), Homemade Dinner Rolls
Thursday ~ Leftover Buffet
Friday ~ Pizza, Soup or Salad
Saturday ~ BBQ Chicken, Caesar Salad, Corn

Linking up with Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Master Bathroom ~ January 16

2012-01-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

In keeping with my declutter 2012 plan, please enjoy my before and afters for the Master Bathroom. It always takes longer than you think. I was able to purge some old makeup but not much else. I don't have a lot of toiletries so they usually are used up before they expire.

Under my husband's side of the sink.

Before

After

Under my side of the sink. I was able to get consolidate the items and remove a bin that I will be able to put to use in the kids bathroom or perhaps a kitchen drawer.

Before

After

The toothpaste and dental floss drawer. I used the basket from under my husband's sink and rolled the facecloths, placing the basket and cloths near the bathtub. Much tidier and handier in both places.

Before

After

The hair drawer. Not much noticeable difference in this drawer, but the hair from the drawer and the brushes are sure diminished!

Before

After

The kids bath drawer. Wow we have a lot of shampoo. It looks even more full in the "after" photo because I found other bath salts and shampoo in my cupboard. Now it's cleared out my space and put all the bath things together so we don't run out and buy more thinking we are out. I see a lot of soapy baths to use up some shampoo and salts!

Before

After

Take-It-For-Free Tuesday - FREE E-Scrap Designer Pack #8

2012-01-17T08:00:00.008-05:00


http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_1

Master Bedroom & Closet ~ January 8-14

2012-01-16T21:30:00.017-05:00

I am in love with my decluttered bedroom and closet. Last week I followed my getting organized 2012 and my master bedroom plans. I was able to clean out my night table, purge a ton of clothes (5 bags!!), wipe down my blinds, vacuume my drapes and dust my baseboards. I even got the items to donate out of the house. My bedroom looks fabulous! It wasn't very exciting so I didn't get any before or after photos. I wish I had taken photos of the bags I donated but I forgot. I'll try to do better as I go through the other areas of the house.

Yesterday (Sunday) morning was spent on the master closet. I thought it was mostly cleaned out but then I remembered all the blog advice out there to remove everything and then put it back. There were a lot more items that I initially thought. I was also able to do a very thorough vacuum, baseboard cleaning and dusting overall. My main goal was to clear items from the floor. It turned out great!

I pulled out the items that I could (I didn't bother for the hanging clothes as they were easy to access, just the items on the floor or the shelves.

I dare not purge hubby's items but I did colour code his clothes (white to dark, left to right) and sorted the shirts by long sleeve and short sleeve. He wasn't as happy as I thought he'd be since I found out after my organizing that he had a "system" of his own. But I think it looks prettier. He should thank me because I didn't purge any of his 40 tee shirts, right?!

I mainly took the pants off the wire hangers and put sturdier plastic ones on.

Tell me this doesn't look like getting dressed in the morning would be easier and more fun!

Here are my shoes. I am happy to report that I actually got rid of 3 pairs! I was able to put my summer ones on the bottom shelf and winter ones on the top shelf. I found that if I put them sideways I was able to gain more space.

And here are the items I donated today.

And the items I removed from the closet but need to recycle, toss or move elsewhere in the house.

I keep walking in my bedroom and looking at my closet and it is so wonderful I take a big breath with pride and relax whenever I look in the rooms. I am excited to go through more rooms and reveal them also!

Menu Plan ~ January 15-21

2012-01-14T08:00:00.011-05:00

Sunday ~ Crockpot Spaghetti/ Meatballs (pg 200), Garlic Bread, Caesar Salad

Monday ~ Waffles, Eggs

Tuesday ~ Chicken Fajitas, Sour Cream, Lettuce

Wednesday ~ Chicken Noodle Soup (pg 45), Homemade Bread

Thursday ~ Meatloaf, Salad or Veggie, Mashed Potatoes

Friday ~ Pizza, Soup or Salad

Saturday ~ Chicken Stir Fry, Rice

Photo Gallery

2012-01-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

I finally put our family photos (since 2006 when my daughter was born) into picture frames. I want to make a gallery wall. There are many blank walls for us to have one. I like the family staircases myself. There are 13 frames that I ended up with.

IHeart Organizing has some great tips on how to make a gallery wall that I want to share and that I hope to follow:

Don't leave too much space between the frames. 1-2 inches is about perfect.
Make sure you get a pattern figured out that you love before putting holes in your walls. Do this by either laying it out on the floor or taping templates to you walls.
It's not always necessary {we didn't this time but you will barely notice the frames of a different color since the artwork matches so wonderfully}, but you may like to use frames that are uniform in color. Different shapes and sizes and detailing to the frames are great for visual interest, it's the color that keeps a uniform look.
Add matting to your art. Even if it's just a scribbled watercolor painting from your two year old, matting it will make it look like a priceless piece of wall art!

How and where do you display your family photos?

Memories and Keepsakes Organizing

2012-01-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

In addition to decluttering and purging the house, I have decided that it is high time to figure out the photos and keepsakes. I have from 2003 to present to figure out. I really want to focus on this area before the end of the school year. My daughter is in senior kindergarten and, if you have school-age children, you can appreciate the incredible amount of art and paperwork that comes home from the school - and she's only alternate days in school! Next year she will be in grade 1 and my son will start junior kindergarten full day every day. If I don't get control of things now and get a system in place I fear I may be lost under their artwork.

The Plan:

So far I have organized the kids art, birthday cards, etc. by year and stored them in freezer bags in one large tote, sorted chronologically (of course!).
Last night I purchased picture frames and am putting the family photos into frames with the plan to hang them (the where is taking some consideration). We take beautiful family photos from Wal-Mart or Sears but then what is the point if they are kept in their envelopes from the store where nobody can see them?
I also purchased some blank art books and some nice scrapbook paper. I plan to make each child a simple keepsake book of their birthday cards, art, etc. This way they will be able to look through it whenever they want and it will be a special memory book kept in their rooms instead of a tote in the corner of the basement. It's not going to be fancy - just a glue stick (or scrapbook stickies, haven't decided yet). I don't want to spend a lot of time on this. My focus is more to get it organized, in one place, and to have it be something they can "use".
Don't even get me started on the digital photos to sort, organize and print. Ideally I will print them by year, in bound books so that I don't have to worry about individual photos falling out and getting lost or misplaced. I do have that one year (2006) where I printed something like 500 photos to look at too.

Baby steps. One step at a time. For now the focus is the framing of family photos and hanging them up as well as the keepsake books to reduce the "stuff" in the totes.

Here are a few links that have inspired me on how to keep the children's keepsakes and how to organize their future artwork.
Delightful Order "Organizing Children's School Papers"
Reluctant Entertainer "Kid Memory Binder"
iHeart Organizing "School Paperwork Storage"

How do you organize your family photos and your children's keepsakes?

My Clothes Have Been Tamed

2012-01-11T14:30:00.000-05:00

I fluctuate between sizes. In recent years due to pregnancies and post-birth weights I have held onto clothes that I might one day need or wear again. Since having two children my body has changed shape and what once fit me in a size does not flatter anymore. I also used to work in an office and needed suits. I now work out of my home as a home daycare provider. Needless to say, the suits of 7 years ago a) aren't in style and b) don't suit my current career choice. Today I went through all my clothes drawers and the closet and then under the bed where I store the "other sizes" of clothes. I managed to collect 5 bags to donate. I was going to try to sell them but I don't think they are worth the effort. Frankly, I'll just be glad to see them out of the house. I feel lighter already!

If you are cleaning out your house and looking to get rid of them, here are some great ideas on where to donate, sell or recycle your stuff. The list is by type. I found it very helpful. I hope you do too.

Oh, and today I also managed to go through the remaining pile of keepsakes and have organized them by date. Now I can make a plan on what to do with these keepsakes.

How is your home organizing going?

Take-It-For-Free Tuesday - FREE E-Scrap Designer Pack #7

2012-01-10T08:00:00.008-05:00

In follow up to my Share the Memories MyMemories Suite software giveaway earlier this month, I'd like to start a "Take-It-For-Free Tuesday" post.

On Tuesdays I will have a FREE Designer Pack for you to download! It will be available for one week.

These are .png files only, not MyMemories Suite Templates. They are usable in any software for everyone!! These freebies include 2 Quick Pages, and all of the papers and elements used in creating them. The elements and QuickPages are.png and the papers are .jpg format.

http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_2

f you are interested in purchasing the My Memories Digital Scrapbooking software, use this code STMMMS5200 and get $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!

Master Bedroom

2012-01-09T20:30:00.004-05:00

I am really enjoying the 2012 declutter calendar created by My Simpler Life.

This new year brings forth my plan is to review finances and household management. The first month I'll focus on decluttering.

So far this week I have organized my knitting patterns, put my yarn for making charity blankets into a tote and moved them from our master bedroom closet to my craft room, cleared out my night table drawers (that was an unexpected hour-and-a-half cleaning!). I came across magazines since 2006 when my daughter was born. They are ones I am intending to read but needed a plan for. I organized them all by month and have set a goal to read all of the current month's (we'll just forget about years for now) magazines. So far I have read 1 magazine and recycled it. I'll work on the other four January ones this week. Very rewarding!

I will organize my clothes drawers on Tuesday and under my bed on Wednesday. Under the bed will be freeing as I have (neatly organized and put into clothing bags) a variety of clothes according to the different sizes that my weight fluctuates between. I would like to keep some of the basics (jeans, tees, sweaters) but only a handful for each size. The rest are from my work days in an office that a) the styles have changed since I've last worn them and b) I would buy new ones if I were to return to an office job so why am I keeping them. Since they are sorted by size I thought I would try to list them on Kijiji first and if after January they haven't sold I'll just donate them. I'll price them to sell but keep in mind that I want the items out of the house. I feel so free just knowing I have a plan.

How are your new year resolutions coming? If you posted about your resolutions, please comment with a link as I'd love to see what others are doing too.

What to do with Christmas Cards After Christmas?

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Jenae at I Can Teach My Child re-posted a great idea on what to do with your Christmas cards after the holiday season has passed. For each family that sent a card, keep them in a basket by the kitchen table and choose one family to pray for each day.

Up until now we have been using the fronts of the cards as gift tags on gifts at the next year's holiday but using them throughout the year is a great way to think of loved ones regularly.

What do you do with old Christmas cards?

Getting Organized 2012

2012-01-08T08:00:00.062-05:00

My post on organizing for the new year touched on two areas: finances and household management.

On Friday I worked on organizing my tax information for last year. Last year I made the effort to note income and expenses at the end of each month. This gave me a more accurate picture of what we were actually spending and minimized the dreaded tax organizing I generally experience at the end of the year. I also had an ongoing estimate of what my taxes owing would be so I could put a savings plan into place and not be surprised at the end of the year (you know, that cross your fingers and hold your breath moment when you enter all the info and get the magic number you owe? Please say I'm not the only one who has this moment).

I will tackle the house and make a plan to organize it (i.e. finding a place for all the stuff we got at Christmas but before the winter birthday gifts start arriving). Since it is overwhelming, I decided to spend Saturday doing a good cleaning of the house and moving items to the room where I want them to go.

On Sunday I plan to start at the top front of the house and move my way from room to room (when I have the energy or the motivation) for the next few weeks and do a deeper clean and purge items we don't use. I'm going to set up a donation station and when I get the call for the charities who want to come pick up my stuff, it's going to be all bagged and ready to put on the porch for them (they call every month or so). I could even call them for a special pick up if I have enough.

I'm going to follow the purge before you try to organize it rule-of-thumb. Sometimes it is so easy to get hung up on where to put the stuff but it's way easier if there is less of it to try to figure out where it should go.

My biggest challenge will be trying to find places for big items (such as Christmas decoration totes) that are organized in the totes but don't have a good storage place. The house is roomy but not a lot of storage. Perhaps when "stuff" moves out this will let me dedicate a space for such items.

Can you help me and share where you store your Christmas decoration totes?

Menu Plan ~ January 8-14

2012-01-07T08:00:00.011-05:00

Sunday ~ Crockpot Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread

Monday ~ Sweet & Sour Chicken (pg 119), Rice, Honey Glazed Carrots

Tuesday ~ Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas, Salad

Wednesday ~ Sausage Minestrone (pg 41), Homemade Bread

Thursday ~ Leftover Buffet

Friday ~ Pizza, Soup or Salad

Saturday ~ Sausage on Bun, Broccoli, Roast Carrots and Potatoes

Do You Set Annual Goals?

2012-01-06T20:00:00.001-05:00

In January I often review my insurance policies, update my client contracts, prepare the previous year's tax information. There are probably a few more things (I know it takes longer than it appears on the list) but that is the general idea of them.

Plus there is goal setting for the coming year. Money Saving Mom has some key points to keep in mind when goal-setting:
1. Determine Your Priorities
2. Create a List of Focus Areas
3. Break Your Goals Down Into Bite-Sized Pieces
4. Set an End Date
5. Track Your Progress

She also has some fantastic planning sheets and forms for household management and goal setting. Click on the highlighted topic to be taken to her planning sheets and forms.

Speaking of household management, Beth at My Simpler Life has set out a daily decluttering and cleaning calendar for 2012 that you should check out.

I'll be working on my planning this weekend. Do you set goals annually? If so, how do you organize yourself and is this the time of year that you plan?

Menu Plan ~ January 1-7

2012-01-01T08:00:00.010-05:00

Sunday ~ New Year’s Meal

Monday ~ Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Tuesday ~ Bacon, Eggs, Toast

Wednesday ~ Shake ‘n Bake Chicken, Scallop Potatoes, Salad

Thursday ~ Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese Casserole, Salad

Friday ~ Pizza, Soup or Salad

Saturday ~ Hamburgers,Corn, Salad

Do You Use Santa and His Elves?

2011-12-29T10:39:00.000-05:00

The kids were so hyper for a few weeks leading up to Christmas. We did threaten to call Santa a few times and then I came up with the brilliant idea that Santa and his elves do "spot checks" randomly throughout the day and we can't see when they are peeking. But not toilet times, of course. Then we got caught up in all the "how do they check" questions and it got tiresome and questionable in answering them. Ha ha.

Do you use Santa and his elves when your children are too excited to remember how to behave? Surely I am not the only one?

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T20:45:00.000-05:00

I've been knitting and crocheting gifts since August. The kids have been spun for a few weeks now. Hubby is on vacation (and a wee bit under foot). In addition to making most gifts, I've wrapped all the family gifts and there is only the kids left to wrap. I have enlisted hubby to do this. I'm spent over this Christmas holiday and it's only just beginning. Am I the only one who feels like the preparation stage goes on for a really long time? Then when we get all the gifts opened there will be places to store them to find. It always takes a month or so for the house to fall back to it's "normal". I try to get rid of toys before Christmas to make room for new ones but they actually use all the ones we do have. Then there are the winter birthdays to consider. And I claimed winter to be my favourite season. I obviously was in a summer heat wave at the time (ha ha).

Merry Christmas to you and your family. Let's all make it through to the other end with big smiles!