Organization - Getting started!!

BEFORE you actually get down and dirty with the task of organizing any area of your home, you must make notes (either mental or, preferably, actually to pen and paper). Note what your purpose of the space is and mandatory items that must be in the space. You'll need to know what kind of budget you have to work with, if any at all. And don't worry ... it's doable to reorganize without spending any money. It might not be the image you found on Pinterest, in a magazine, or saw at someone else's house. But that's okay. It has to work for YOU and your family. If it can do that, then you have succeeded. You'll need to list each space or each room that you have to organize on a separate list.

PREPARE by making signs and gathering trash bags/boxes/tubs. Yes. MAKING SIGNS. Keep. Garbage. Donate. Mending. When you're going to sit down and actually do the work you'll need these items. They can be handwritten on a piece of scratch paper or printed, whatever suits your fancy. You'll end up setting these side-by-side (or spaced out if you have a large space to go through) to make it easy to set/toss items into the appropriate category.

• KEEP. Things you LOVE. Things you use REGULARLY. Things you can't live without.
• GARBAGE. Torn clothing, broken toys. Anything that you won't use and won't benefit someone else by getting rid of it. Now additionally in this pile may be an actual TRASH and RECYCLING pile if you have recycling services available in your area. Of course, I highly recommend recycling whatever you can so nothing unnecessary ends up compounding to the waste in our landfills.
• DONATE. Things you like, but don't love. Things you use infrequently. Something that was handed down to you that you don't plan to keep (remember you always have the memories so you don't have to keep the actual item).
• MENDING. Those items that need the button fixed, screw tightened, etc. This can be done by you or sent out to the seamstress, whichever you prefer and are capable of. The important thing with this pile is to get it done quickly so things can be put in their proper place.

For your donate stash, I recommend boxes that you can close up and take straight to Goodwill or whatever agency you have determined will benefit from your no longer needed items. Why touch it twice when you can touch it once and be done with it?! I don't see the point in wasting time that you don't really have or would rather be doing something else instead. Likewise, use trash bags (full size for large spaces, recycled Walmart bags for small areas) for trash and once filled take it immediately to the garbage can so it's out of your way. This will instantly remove the clutter allowing your eyes to rest, and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment at what you are doing.

Determine how much time you have and schedule it. If you have 5 minutes, go through a kitchen or dresser drawer. If you have 15 minutes, tackle the medicine cabinet. Whatever amount of time you have, schedule it. WRITE IT DOWN. DO IT. If you work, do it after work when you can. Do it on a day off, during summer break. Whatever you can do. It will take time to work your way around your entire home, but it'll get done and you'll feel so much better. Keep in mind that you may schedule 15 minutes, but find it so intensely motivating that you end up spending more. That's awesome. Just keep up with your schedule and work your way through every space that you want to do. If possible, I would stick to one room at a time before moving on, but only to have the sense of accomplishment to be able to cross that room off your list (I read an article once that crossing items off your to-do list sends positive signals to your brain).

So ... are you ready to start here?? I'll be back next week with the next part. I'm going to work on one of my spaces and want to chronicle that so that I'm ready to help you with yours. Writing about this, talking about it - makes me want to jump right in and do it myself. And I still have plenty that I can do in organizing my home!!

See you next week.

Online Organization

Feeling a little {I don't know} - unenergetic but wanting to be - this morning and as I was online sorting through emails, both personal and football related, in addition to checking through all of the facebook groups, notices, and posts, I decided that I COULD be doing something that helps to organize me a little while I sit on my duff right here on this silly computer! So I went through my email folders. Whew! I had built up a collection of things that were most definitely no longer needed or good and it was time to "clean house," so to speak.

I already had folders for baseball, coupons/discounts, my husband, kids misc, family, misc, myself (one just to my name, one for work, and one for college items), and football. First, since my son hasn't played baseball since 2010 I decided that folder was no longer needed and I could either toss or move the emails in it, which only numbered 7. So I moved what I'd like to keep (should he change his mind and decide to play again in the future) to my "kids misc" folder and the rest to the trash. Folder deleted. {That feels nice!} On to the next folder. Why do I need 3 folders for me?! Ridiculous. I moved the school and work items to the other folder and then they were deleted. So I deleted 3 folders in total. The next easiest thing for me to tackle was to go through my coupons/discounts and check for things that have expired and hit DELETE. Done. And quickly. Love it! Not sure how many emails in total went "bye bye" in the trash bin, but it feels good to be clean and organized online, as in real life. And it gives a little motivation to get up and get going somewhere around my house - even if only a smidge of a spot! I found a photo of my Mom that I had forgotten about while I was working on this process ... of her in 1967 at a Debutante Ball! I love it! That's her on the top right.

Remember that not only your email can use some organization and purging, but also your favorites/bookmarks on your computer or smartphone. Check to see if you actually use them anymore and if not, delete them. Organize your online favorites by groups (blogs you read, shopping, things around your area to do, educational, sports, etc) that work for you and your lifestyle. Delete anything that isn't needed or is a distraction from the life you want to have. I hope that makes you feel a little better in doing so. I know it does for me.

Happy Organizing, my friends!

Summertime

I {love} summer! I love being able to stay up late, sleep in if I'd like, no alarm clocks. I love being able to go or stay, do or not do. I love being able to work on projects around the house, both new and old. I love spending time with my family.

I'm only 4 days into this and loving every single minute of it! We've had a party to kickoff summer with friends and neighbors, shopped, and played. Some of us are playing more than others, lucky ducks!! And I'm even getting some chores done, too. Today I've been working on laundry, to start it anyways. I have a list going and on that list things are prioritized.

First item is to remove {everything} from my daughter's room and give it a S.E.R.I.O.U.S cleaning from top to bottom. This in itself is quite a task! She's a messy, messy little girl! I have even talked about taking the doors off of the closet and make some drapery to hang instead so that we can put a desk next to her bed. If we don't take the doors off there's no room, so this is a good alternative. And I'll buy regular drapery then embellish the bottom of the new and existing (actually ON the window) treatments so they go to the floor and match. I'll also have to go through and remove items that are not worn anymore to donate/sell and switch out the summer/winter clothing. Then all toys and everything will be scrutinized (by me, not her) to make sure it's not broken and then put back into the storage containers and placed on the bookshelves. I've got that bargain headboard STILL in the box in the garage - it was damaged (splintered) so I got it for $10 when it was originally $100 at Garden Ridge before Christmas last year! It needs to be painted black after some wood glue and clamps take care of the splintered part. And I've thought about painting the inside of her closet for a while, so I need to make that decision and get to that once everything's out if I'm going to do it. I should. Hers is the only kids room NOT painted. And I like the idea of just doing the closet - get the color, but not as much paint or time needed to do so. I like that! I imagine the process for her room alone will take me a week from start to finish!

Other project on the to-do list are my son's room, craft/game room, Master bedroom, Master closet, garage, to file pile, as well as regular chores and all my peewee football/cheerleading miscellaneous. {Whew! I'm wondering if there's time for fun with all those things to do?!}

I'll post as I start and am working on things to document the process. It may inspire you.

Cancer. Such an ugly word. Such an ugly word that causes pain and suffering for families and friends. 
Cancer. Instantly striking fear and worry for someone you know or love who just has just been diagnosed.
Cancer.
Cancer. Brings tears to my eyes as I think of another loved one in my family to be diagnosed with this ugly disease. But not just any type of cancer. Breast Cancer. {gulp} It started the demise of my great grandmother and my grandmother. They both lost their life to cancer, starting in their breasts. It scares me silly. I was young, about 13 or 14, when my GG died. 13, I think. I loved her so much even though I rarely got to see her except for summertime when I'd visit my grandparents or for some occasion that she'd come to our house. This is the sucky part of having a relative in another state. My grandmother died when I was 21 years old and a mother. She had been battling her cancer for sometime and it finally took her. Now. At 40 years old I have found out that my Aunt - my Mom's sister - has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Just two days ago. I've been very, very sad all day about this. Now that I'm not at work, I can finally let the tears come out instead of having to keep them in and worry about students seeing my emotions.
Cancer. Scary. For her, my Uncle, my cousins and her grandchildren. For me, my Mom, and my daughter. For now that I have someone directly above me in the family tree who has been diagnosed with breast cancer will the insurance company finally decide that I am in need of mammograms. Why is that? My Mom or my Aunt had to get this horrible disease before they'd do anything to make sure I don't have it. It sucks that it's this way. I will never understand why insurance companies are the way they are.
Cancer. I hate you. You've robbed me of loved ones and I don't want you taking anymore of the people in my family that I love.
Cancer. With all of this happening today it pushes me forward with my dream, my goal, to walk in the Susan G. Komen 3-day. 60 miles of walking over 3 days. To help raise funds for breast cancer research. I wanted to do this last year for my 40th Birthday, but having had the knee surgery and not being fully recovered and able to train thwarted that plan. And here it's almost summer and I'm no where ready to do it for this Fall. Although if I tried hard enough starting right now maybe I could do that in October ... I will do it at least once. I will do that.
Cancer.
Cancer.
Cancer.

Inspiring, Inspired

So my dear friend from way back when (that I gave the chicken pox to in 6th grade) sent me a message on facebook to tell me that she FINALLY tried making her own laundry soap. Yeah! I love it so much and I was glad to know that someone else had tried it, too. I waited to hear how her first load went and when I did, she was so happy with how it had turned out for her. Double yeah! Me inspiring her and hearing how much she liked it, inspired me again. I am planning to make a big ol' batch again today! After a trip to Wally World to get some more Fels Naptha soap. But I am very appreciative to learn that my friend used her food processor to get the soap finely grated and mixed in with the other ingredients. Now I don't have a food processor. I have been using a handheld grater and my mini chopper (which does not hold much and the mess I make each time putting the soap in and dumping it out, ugh!). So I decided that since the last batch was clumpy (not waiting to mix the ingredients when the soap was freshly grated) I would run it through my blender, which just occupies space in the cupboard. Viola! It's perfect. Better than the first batch that I waited the day and ran through the mini chopper ... So thankful that I was inspired after being inspiring and figured out a solution to my (not so big of a) problem.

I also learned, from her words and going back to the website, that I've been using too much detergent. I've used a handy dandy 1/4 cup measuring cup. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN USING was only 1-2 Tablespoons per load. Oops! Well ... now I'm on a mission to find a proper scoop so that I am not overusing the detergent, thus making it last even longer. That and to find a cute, inexpensive container to store it in. Something better than the old Tupperware container that was in the pile to donate to Goodwill that I scavenged for when I couldn't wait to try the recipe and had nothing else. And I am inspired to check not only Wally World but the dollar stores thanks to a fan of my fave blog (iheartorganizing) who posted about another reader who redid her cupboards from dollar store purchases ... read the article from 3/14/12 on the iheartorganizing blog to see pictures; it's simply fabulous!

And all of this inspires me more to finally finish the laundry room so I can show pictures of it's prettiness. It's on my to-do list. I promise. But I'm taking my sweet ol' time doing it. Even though I'd rather have it done and my dining room back to be able to sit and eat at the table with the kids! I'll get there. Soon. I promise.

CVS deal - Pediasure

Pediasure is listed for $5.99, with $5 Extra Bucks awarded at the register. So even without a coupon it ends up costing only $0.99. Limit 1. And of course they track it on your card, but this is a good deal if you have little ones. I saw both cherry and grape liquid available to choose from.

Happy savings!!

Coca Cola - my other love

Okay ... obviously I love coffee since I named this blog "a coffee lover's life" but my other favorite drink is a nice cold Coca Cola. Yummmmmmmm. So today I am going to share with you that you can get a boat load of my second favorite drink for really cheap this week.

WHO: anyone else who loves their Coca Colas
WHAT: 12-packs of Coca Cola products, excluding Dr. Pepper
WHEN: March 11-17, 2012
WHERE: Walgreens
WHY: SALE - the ad says limit 3 on a 3/$10 deal, but in the store there was a rolling cart that said "6/$20" and you can earn $10 back in register rewards, making the 12-packs $1.67 each, each can being only $0.14. WHOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Downfall - yes, sadly there is one, is that Walgreens policy about using register rewards doesn't allow you to use it on your next purchase of the 6 12-packs and receiving a new register rewards. So, if you don't mind a little out of pocket now to get them for cheap and you'll go back and use your register rewards before they expire, then this is a FABULOUS deal.

CVS has something similar going on this week in that you can get 5/$15 and earn $5 Extra Bucks. Limit 1. They track this because it's linked to your CVS card. And the 12-packs end up being $2 each, each can $0.17. So Walgreens has the best deal overall, but you can still get a good value on the 12-packs from CVS.

Just thought I'd share ... happy savings!