It took me several days to get through all my closets and drawers. Now that I am done it is time to move on to the next step. Today's focus is on the bedrooms.
Start in the master bedroom. I always leave my own room for last and it is a mistake that I continually repeat. Somehow when my own space is clean I am better able to focus on getting the other bedrooms clean quickly.
This should be simple now that the closets are de-junked and cleaned out and the bed side tables no longer have piles on them. I have a pattern to bedroom cleaning that I will outline here.
1. Grab sheets off of all the beds and start washing before you begin cleaning. Change the loads as needed throughout the day.
2. Open windows to air out the room.
3. Time to dust. Start at the top and work your way down. Don't forget the tops of dressers and tables, light fixtures, around the ceiling corners and around the windows. Don't forget the master bath. Move from bedroom to bedroom to get this done quickly and efficiently. I purchased a long handles duster for my high ceilings.
4. Clothes are next. Dirty clothing to the laundry, clean laundry on the floor needs to be hung up or put into a dresser (my kids are famous for putting their clean laundry on the floor so I started putting everything possible on hangers as it came out of the dryer and they have to hang it up....it seems to help them put it where it needs to go), make sure the closet is still nice and tidy.
5. When cleaning kids rooms this is where I take time to pick up toys. I find a medium basket in the closet is an easy way to quickly gather toys and store them. I try to keep most toys in the basement toy closet and they have only their most special things in the bedrooms. Less is often more.
5. Make master bed with clean sheets.
6. With a damp rag wipe down baseboards, wood work, bed, bedroom door and handles.
7. Master bath -
-clean off counters putting things where they go in your newly organized drawers,
-change any lightbulbs that are out,
-clean mirrors and windows,
-spray shower and toilet and let them sit a few minutes,
-scour the tub,
-finish shower and toilet,
-wipe down baseboards
8. Vacuum and or sweep master bed and bath
Repeat this process for each bedroom and voila!, you have made tons of progress today.
Showing posts with label organization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organization. Show all posts
Friday, November 21, 2014
Monday, November 10, 2014
Day 3 In the Closets - 7 Days to an Organized Home
Today we are going to start in all the closets that aren't clothing closets. Linen closets, toy closets, hallway closets, craft closets, mud room closets/lockers.
1. Gather supplies - garbage bags and donation bags
2. Throw out
3. De-junk/Donate
4. Organize
Grab several big black garbage bags. One for donating and one for throwing away.
This is how I go about starting. I begin with closets at one end of my house (with my craft closet) and move towards the other end of the house. I begin by throwing away anything that is broken, too old to be of use, worn out, etc. Then I gather up as much as I can to donate. Be sure these items are in good repair and that someone might actually need or want. This is the hard step....getting rid of stuff. The good news is I find the more I get rid of the more I use what I have left.
For example, my craft closet was a mess before this challenge. I had so much stuff and sometimes I couldn't find what I needed. After doing the steps above I have one full garbage bag of stuff to give away. I purchased an over the door organizer and was able to make my own wrapping station on the back of the door that fits my needs perfectly. (In my next post I will show you how simple it is) My closet is now clutter free and I can find everything easier. I don't even miss the things I got rid of.
My advice is to just do it. Get rid of what you don't use no matter what it cost. (You can also sell the things you no longer use for a bit of money).
Linen closet tips: Keep an extra set of sheets in the closets of each room instead of in the linen closet. This frees up some room in the linen closet and reduces time spent searching for the correct size sheets. The sheets are easily accessible this way and my kids can't say they don't know where their extra set of sheets are :) At the bottom of my linen closet I have a nice wicker bin that I keep extra blankets in. It looks nice and my kids are less likely to pull them our of the bin than off the shelf.
Mud room: I got rid of our cupboard storage and hung lots of hooks for coats. I have 2 bins for shoes. The reality is that my kids aren't going to open their cute cupboard, hang their coat and backpack and put their shoes neatly in pairs in the designated spot. I am actually laughing at this point. I had to make it easier. They now come in, throw their shoes into one of the bins and quickly hang backpacks and coats on the hangers. It looks tidy and they are still able to find their things when needed. Not Pottery Barn, but functional and organized....good enough for me.
Coat closet: Get rid of those coats you have been saving. If no one uses them donate them to a homeless shelter. They will get some great use and by giving them away you create more open space. Let this closet be nothing but a coat closet. Get rid of everything except coats, hats and umbrellas. Maybe rain boots can find a home in the bottom of this closet.
Now it's time for the bedroom closets.
This is one of the hardest steps for me to do....de-junk the closets. What if I need that thing I haven't worn in 2 years one day? What if I lose or gain 10 pounds? I need all these clothes....don't I? The answer is no.
My child might wear that, I should save it for the next one, It is just too cute! These are all thoughts I have had when going about this task. One of my friends will employ the help of a friend so that she can have two sets of eyes and one that has no sentimental attachment to her kids stuff :)
Start by getting rid of anything that is ripped, stained, or unusable. Next grab (as fast as you can) anything your child won't wear, anything that is too small, etc. These things go straight into the donate bag. Don't look into the bag at any point...it is easier this way :) If you are saving clothes for you child to grow into, grab a storage bin, label it with what's inside and when it's filled put it in the storage room for later. Just don't forget you have it (yes I have done this several times). I now only keep the very best of the hand me downs and get rid of the rest. My children's tastes are different and I can save lots of clothes just to have them never worn again.
Shoes. Keep the ones they/you wear and donate the rest. At one point I had hundreds of pairs of shoes. I love shoes. The reality is that I don't need that many and it causes an organization nightmare. I donated several large moving boxes of shoes and haven't missed them a bit.
This step may take a full day or several. Be patient and get it done. You will feel great when you know all those closets are organized.
1. Gather supplies - garbage bags and donation bags
2. Throw out
3. De-junk/Donate
4. Organize
Grab several big black garbage bags. One for donating and one for throwing away.
This is how I go about starting. I begin with closets at one end of my house (with my craft closet) and move towards the other end of the house. I begin by throwing away anything that is broken, too old to be of use, worn out, etc. Then I gather up as much as I can to donate. Be sure these items are in good repair and that someone might actually need or want. This is the hard step....getting rid of stuff. The good news is I find the more I get rid of the more I use what I have left.
For example, my craft closet was a mess before this challenge. I had so much stuff and sometimes I couldn't find what I needed. After doing the steps above I have one full garbage bag of stuff to give away. I purchased an over the door organizer and was able to make my own wrapping station on the back of the door that fits my needs perfectly. (In my next post I will show you how simple it is) My closet is now clutter free and I can find everything easier. I don't even miss the things I got rid of.
My advice is to just do it. Get rid of what you don't use no matter what it cost. (You can also sell the things you no longer use for a bit of money).
Linen closet tips: Keep an extra set of sheets in the closets of each room instead of in the linen closet. This frees up some room in the linen closet and reduces time spent searching for the correct size sheets. The sheets are easily accessible this way and my kids can't say they don't know where their extra set of sheets are :) At the bottom of my linen closet I have a nice wicker bin that I keep extra blankets in. It looks nice and my kids are less likely to pull them our of the bin than off the shelf.
Mud room: I got rid of our cupboard storage and hung lots of hooks for coats. I have 2 bins for shoes. The reality is that my kids aren't going to open their cute cupboard, hang their coat and backpack and put their shoes neatly in pairs in the designated spot. I am actually laughing at this point. I had to make it easier. They now come in, throw their shoes into one of the bins and quickly hang backpacks and coats on the hangers. It looks tidy and they are still able to find their things when needed. Not Pottery Barn, but functional and organized....good enough for me.
Coat closet: Get rid of those coats you have been saving. If no one uses them donate them to a homeless shelter. They will get some great use and by giving them away you create more open space. Let this closet be nothing but a coat closet. Get rid of everything except coats, hats and umbrellas. Maybe rain boots can find a home in the bottom of this closet.
Now it's time for the bedroom closets.
This is one of the hardest steps for me to do....de-junk the closets. What if I need that thing I haven't worn in 2 years one day? What if I lose or gain 10 pounds? I need all these clothes....don't I? The answer is no.
My child might wear that, I should save it for the next one, It is just too cute! These are all thoughts I have had when going about this task. One of my friends will employ the help of a friend so that she can have two sets of eyes and one that has no sentimental attachment to her kids stuff :)
Start by getting rid of anything that is ripped, stained, or unusable. Next grab (as fast as you can) anything your child won't wear, anything that is too small, etc. These things go straight into the donate bag. Don't look into the bag at any point...it is easier this way :) If you are saving clothes for you child to grow into, grab a storage bin, label it with what's inside and when it's filled put it in the storage room for later. Just don't forget you have it (yes I have done this several times). I now only keep the very best of the hand me downs and get rid of the rest. My children's tastes are different and I can save lots of clothes just to have them never worn again.
Shoes. Keep the ones they/you wear and donate the rest. At one point I had hundreds of pairs of shoes. I love shoes. The reality is that I don't need that many and it causes an organization nightmare. I donated several large moving boxes of shoes and haven't missed them a bit.
This step may take a full day or several. Be patient and get it done. You will feel great when you know all those closets are organized.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Day 2 Under the Sinks - 7 Days to an Organized Home
These tasks are meant for you to take on as you can. If you need to go every other day, once a week or 7 days straight it is up to you. We all work differently and have different responsibilities and time commitments to work around. The goal here is not to make anyone feel bad about what they did not accomplish, but to focus on all that we do accomplish.
Now that all our papers and piles of papers are organized into appropriate folders or filing systems it is time to move to our next task.
Under sink cabinets
Start in the bathrooms. Take everything out and wipe the cabinet out. Here is the hard part. Throw away anything you don't need. I found I had extra bottles of conditioner that I didn't love, half used bottles of lotion I don't use, little hotel bottles that I saved from traveling. The truth is that these things can be better used donated to a women's shelter or homeless shelter. If you don't use or love the product it may sit under your sink for years adding to the disorganization and chaos. Be brave and get rid of these things.
Now that you have de-junked the cabinets it is time to organize them. This is the fun part and I feel great because I have what I need under my sink and room to spare, not to mention that it looks orderly.
Paper towels
Extra Hand soap
One extra bottle of lotion
Cleaning caddy with cleaning supplies
Humidifier
My cleaning caddy is one of my favorite things. It is so easy to grab and holds all my supplies to clean the bathroom. I have one in an upstairs bathroom and one in the downstairs bathroom. This saves me time and allows me to tidy up and quickly clean between deeper cleanings. I know where my supplies are without searching through the house. It makes it easier for my kids to learn to clean the bathroom as well.
My caddy was purchased at Wal-Mart. I filled it with all my preferred cleaning supplies such as:
Windex
Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Ajax
Scrub Brush
Lysol Bathroom Cleaner
Lysol Natural Cleaner
Bonus:
Take time to empty out the bathroom drawers, wipe them down, put only those things you need and use back in. I like to use a container to hold toothpaste and toothbrushes.
As I opened my kitchen sink cabinet I realized that the empty egg cartons and 2 L pop bottles (all for scouting activities) needed to go. The ones I "had" to keep went down on a shelf in my storage room and all the others went straight into the trash. I have a wire stand that allows me to add a shelf under the sink that helps with organization. I make sure that my dish soap, dish wash detergent and granite cleaners are all readily accessible and easy to grab. The stove top cleaner, jet dry and other less used cleaners sit behind.
My last sink cabinet is in my laundry room. This cabinet contains my cleaning buckets, rags and scrub brushes. Material should have it's own spot. For me it is in my storage room. While you are at it you might as well check off another to do by mating socks and getting rid of any with holes or lost mates.
This task shouldn't take more than an hour or two if you are focused and have no distractions. Dig in and get it done and feel how much better it is to know your cabinets are cleaned out, de-junked and organized. Happy organizing!
Now that all our papers and piles of papers are organized into appropriate folders or filing systems it is time to move to our next task.
Under sink cabinets
Start in the bathrooms. Take everything out and wipe the cabinet out. Here is the hard part. Throw away anything you don't need. I found I had extra bottles of conditioner that I didn't love, half used bottles of lotion I don't use, little hotel bottles that I saved from traveling. The truth is that these things can be better used donated to a women's shelter or homeless shelter. If you don't use or love the product it may sit under your sink for years adding to the disorganization and chaos. Be brave and get rid of these things.
Now that you have de-junked the cabinets it is time to organize them. This is the fun part and I feel great because I have what I need under my sink and room to spare, not to mention that it looks orderly.
Things I keep under my bathroom sinks:
Toilet paperPaper towels
Extra Hand soap
One extra bottle of lotion
Cleaning caddy with cleaning supplies
Humidifier
My cleaning caddy is one of my favorite things. It is so easy to grab and holds all my supplies to clean the bathroom. I have one in an upstairs bathroom and one in the downstairs bathroom. This saves me time and allows me to tidy up and quickly clean between deeper cleanings. I know where my supplies are without searching through the house. It makes it easier for my kids to learn to clean the bathroom as well.
My caddy was purchased at Wal-Mart. I filled it with all my preferred cleaning supplies such as:
Windex
Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Ajax
Scrub Brush
Lysol Bathroom Cleaner
Lysol Natural Cleaner
Bonus:
Take time to empty out the bathroom drawers, wipe them down, put only those things you need and use back in. I like to use a container to hold toothpaste and toothbrushes.
As I opened my kitchen sink cabinet I realized that the empty egg cartons and 2 L pop bottles (all for scouting activities) needed to go. The ones I "had" to keep went down on a shelf in my storage room and all the others went straight into the trash. I have a wire stand that allows me to add a shelf under the sink that helps with organization. I make sure that my dish soap, dish wash detergent and granite cleaners are all readily accessible and easy to grab. The stove top cleaner, jet dry and other less used cleaners sit behind.
My last sink cabinet is in my laundry room. This cabinet contains my cleaning buckets, rags and scrub brushes. Material should have it's own spot. For me it is in my storage room. While you are at it you might as well check off another to do by mating socks and getting rid of any with holes or lost mates.
This task shouldn't take more than an hour or two if you are focused and have no distractions. Dig in and get it done and feel how much better it is to know your cabinets are cleaned out, de-junked and organized. Happy organizing!
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
7 Days to an Organized Home
I love organizing however, it takes a backseat to family vacations, family time, exercise fun, ball games, mom's taxi service and volleyball games. Not to mention all the normal mom things we do like fix meals, laundry, volunteer in school, church service and callings, run things to school when we get that "I forgot"... phone call, the list goes on and on.
I like flylady at flylady.com, but her method is very slow and methodical. I don't work that way. When I make up my mind to do something I want it done now, not over the course of 3 months. That is me and I know a few others who would agree. Here I present Day 1 of my PRE-flylady 7 day challenge to organizing the home. After I finish with this I feel I can keep up on everything following a plan like flylady.com.
Organizing is like a fresh spring breath after a long winter. It rejuvenates me and makes me feel so much better. Those of you who enjoy organizing know what I mean.
Why organize?
1. To dejunk: Old clothes, shoes, craft supplies, bikes and papers add up quickly to extra junk without a place if we don't manage it. Always organize with a donation and throw out garbage bag near. My personal rule is if I haven't used it in 18 months it goes.
2. To find space: As more stuff accumulates we have less and less space in which to put it. Our homes become crammed and cluttered until we organize.
3. Mental wellness (this one is for me): Just knowing that everything is clean and has a spot helps me sleep at night.
4. To gain time: This is such an important reason. When everything has a spot and we know where that spot is, we are quickly able to pull out needed items rather than searching for what we need. Camping? Biking? School Project? Birthday? No problem. We pick up precious time this way.
Today start with your filing cabinets, budgets and paper areas of your home. In preparation for today be sure to have a shredder near by and a garbage bag (or 3 in my case). Open up a filing cabinet and go to town. I went through all my receipts, papers, bills, taxes, feel good things I was holding on to, everything paper. Shred sensitive documents that are no longer needed and throw away anything else that is there without a specific purpose.
There are many apps that allow the user to snap a photo of the receipt and store it digitally. What a wonderful thing. No need to hold on to those receipts any longer. Some of these apps are: Receipt Organizer for $0.99, and Foreceipt Daily Expense Tracker for FREE. Many different apps are available. Do a simple search for receipt organizer in your app store.
After throwing everthing I don't need away, I went through my filing cabinet and saw that I had a working folder for budget, taxes, receipts, insurance information, important papers, each child, on-going projects and so on. I have a space near the back door for the kids homework papers and those that need immediate attention. (Photos of that to come later this week) File your papers away in the appropriate files. Done for today.
I like flylady at flylady.com, but her method is very slow and methodical. I don't work that way. When I make up my mind to do something I want it done now, not over the course of 3 months. That is me and I know a few others who would agree. Here I present Day 1 of my PRE-flylady 7 day challenge to organizing the home. After I finish with this I feel I can keep up on everything following a plan like flylady.com.
Organizing is like a fresh spring breath after a long winter. It rejuvenates me and makes me feel so much better. Those of you who enjoy organizing know what I mean.
Why organize?
1. To dejunk: Old clothes, shoes, craft supplies, bikes and papers add up quickly to extra junk without a place if we don't manage it. Always organize with a donation and throw out garbage bag near. My personal rule is if I haven't used it in 18 months it goes.
2. To find space: As more stuff accumulates we have less and less space in which to put it. Our homes become crammed and cluttered until we organize.
3. Mental wellness (this one is for me): Just knowing that everything is clean and has a spot helps me sleep at night.
4. To gain time: This is such an important reason. When everything has a spot and we know where that spot is, we are quickly able to pull out needed items rather than searching for what we need. Camping? Biking? School Project? Birthday? No problem. We pick up precious time this way.
DAY 1
Today start with your filing cabinets, budgets and paper areas of your home. In preparation for today be sure to have a shredder near by and a garbage bag (or 3 in my case). Open up a filing cabinet and go to town. I went through all my receipts, papers, bills, taxes, feel good things I was holding on to, everything paper. Shred sensitive documents that are no longer needed and throw away anything else that is there without a specific purpose.
There are many apps that allow the user to snap a photo of the receipt and store it digitally. What a wonderful thing. No need to hold on to those receipts any longer. Some of these apps are: Receipt Organizer for $0.99, and Foreceipt Daily Expense Tracker for FREE. Many different apps are available. Do a simple search for receipt organizer in your app store.
After throwing everthing I don't need away, I went through my filing cabinet and saw that I had a working folder for budget, taxes, receipts, insurance information, important papers, each child, on-going projects and so on. I have a space near the back door for the kids homework papers and those that need immediate attention. (Photos of that to come later this week) File your papers away in the appropriate files. Done for today.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Chore Chart
If your kids are like my boys they clean up after themselves without asking, keep their rooms spick and span and do their own laundry. Oh, wait...that only happens in my dreams!
I was visiting with my sister about what I could do to persuade my kids to be more proactive in doing their chores so that I did not hound them all the time or lose my temper. She came up with a great idea for a chore chart and so my sister-in-law and I each made one and put them to use.
The idea behind this chore chart is that they do their chores (it can be adapted for not fighting with siblings, doing kind acts for others, etc) and each day they can move their magnet one space on the chart or, like this chart add a magnet to the chart. In our house they get to move a space if they have done their chores and can earn an extra space if they do not fight with each other.
Here is my chart..I just need to add each child's name across the top.
Here is the one my sister in law did...
At the end of the chart is a magnet clip holding their allowance. Once they hit that square they get the money and we start over. (I do $5 for now and will adjust it as my kids get older).
Just get a magnet board...I bought one at Ikea for under $10... and using electricial tape I taped off squares for each child. The tape comes on and off so if you are a perfectionist, you don't have to worry about crooked lines being permanent...just rip it off and try again. (These can be made cuter by modge podging cute card stock onto the magnet board...my boys don't put much thought about it being "cute" so I save myself the time and trouble :) I have 14 squares on my chart so my kids can earn allowance each week if they do what they should:) Magnets can be found at any craft store or you can make your own.
Important rules for the chore chart:
1. Your child cannot lose a square once earned
2. The reward needs to be visible (I may also do a gift card, movie ticket or voucher for a date night with mom and dad). The great thing about this is that it can easily be adapted to each child's individual needs and personality.
3. Praise them when they get to move a square with things such as, "I knew you could do it", "Good job on your chores today" or "It was so nice not hearing any quarreling today...thank you." Positive reinforcement is a good way to let your kids know when they do a good job and they will be more likely to continue the positive behavior if they are receiving positive reinforcement about their behaviors.
4. Be consistent. Kids need consistency. If you are consistent in rewarding their efforts they will continue to try. If you are sporadic with the chore chart it will leave them wondering if they do what they are suppose to if they will receive their reward they are working so hard to attain.
5. Be very concise and clear on exactly what they are expected to do. Instead of telling my child to clean his room, I tell him that I want him to make his bed, put his dirty clothes into the laundry and pick up his toys off the floor putting them where they go. When simply asked to clean his room, my son does not make his bed, but he does pick up his toys. He never understands why I don't think his room is clean. We think differently from a child and need to be clear with our expectations.
6. Have realistic chores based on age and capability.
I find my chore chart to be a great motivator especially for my younger children. The older one lost interest until I decided to increase the reward and voila! his interest suddenly perked up again.
I was visiting with my sister about what I could do to persuade my kids to be more proactive in doing their chores so that I did not hound them all the time or lose my temper. She came up with a great idea for a chore chart and so my sister-in-law and I each made one and put them to use.
The idea behind this chore chart is that they do their chores (it can be adapted for not fighting with siblings, doing kind acts for others, etc) and each day they can move their magnet one space on the chart or, like this chart add a magnet to the chart. In our house they get to move a space if they have done their chores and can earn an extra space if they do not fight with each other.
Here is my chart..I just need to add each child's name across the top.
Here is the one my sister in law did...
Just get a magnet board...I bought one at Ikea for under $10... and using electricial tape I taped off squares for each child. The tape comes on and off so if you are a perfectionist, you don't have to worry about crooked lines being permanent...just rip it off and try again. (These can be made cuter by modge podging cute card stock onto the magnet board...my boys don't put much thought about it being "cute" so I save myself the time and trouble :) I have 14 squares on my chart so my kids can earn allowance each week if they do what they should:) Magnets can be found at any craft store or you can make your own.
Important rules for the chore chart:
1. Your child cannot lose a square once earned
2. The reward needs to be visible (I may also do a gift card, movie ticket or voucher for a date night with mom and dad). The great thing about this is that it can easily be adapted to each child's individual needs and personality.
3. Praise them when they get to move a square with things such as, "I knew you could do it", "Good job on your chores today" or "It was so nice not hearing any quarreling today...thank you." Positive reinforcement is a good way to let your kids know when they do a good job and they will be more likely to continue the positive behavior if they are receiving positive reinforcement about their behaviors.
4. Be consistent. Kids need consistency. If you are consistent in rewarding their efforts they will continue to try. If you are sporadic with the chore chart it will leave them wondering if they do what they are suppose to if they will receive their reward they are working so hard to attain.
5. Be very concise and clear on exactly what they are expected to do. Instead of telling my child to clean his room, I tell him that I want him to make his bed, put his dirty clothes into the laundry and pick up his toys off the floor putting them where they go. When simply asked to clean his room, my son does not make his bed, but he does pick up his toys. He never understands why I don't think his room is clean. We think differently from a child and need to be clear with our expectations.
6. Have realistic chores based on age and capability.
I find my chore chart to be a great motivator especially for my younger children. The older one lost interest until I decided to increase the reward and voila! his interest suddenly perked up again.
Friday, January 20, 2012
DIY Spice Organizer
I was on Pinterest the other day looking through all the ways people organize their spice drawers/cabinets. I was thinking about what I wanted to purchase...new bottles to fit in a drawer, ikea shelfs to hook to my wall or the back of my pantry drawer, etc. I came to the realization that now is not the time for me to spend money on something like this. Being a little bit down about it I decided to look around and see if I already had something that I could reuse for my spice cabinet.
As I searched around the house I came upon my boys wooden blocks. Perfect! I was able to use 3 of their blocks and create a pedestal so I can actually see my spices on the shelf. Here are some photos of what I did.
First level. I stacked the blocks to create a shelf...then added a lower block...
And finally...
I love it when I can re-use something at home to get the result I was looking for. After getting the "shelf" together I alphabetized my spices so they would be easier for me to find.
As I searched around the house I came upon my boys wooden blocks. Perfect! I was able to use 3 of their blocks and create a pedestal so I can actually see my spices on the shelf. Here are some photos of what I did.
First level. I stacked the blocks to create a shelf...then added a lower block...
And finally...
I love it when I can re-use something at home to get the result I was looking for. After getting the "shelf" together I alphabetized my spices so they would be easier for me to find.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Earlier I told you about cozi.com and how much I love love it. Well, I have another love in my life and this one is Pinterest.com. I enjoy browsing the internet for gift ideas, upcoming holiday decorating ideas and DIY - do it yourself- projects. Over the years I have found lots of ideas and you know.....I can't remember a one. Without anywhere to collect these ideas I lost them. Pinterest is the online revolution to organizing and collecting the ideas you find on-line.
Pinterest allows you to organize into categories and "pin" or save ideas from other blogs or websites. This has revolutionized on-line browsing! I love it. Give it try and see how much you love it. WARNING: Not responsible for those who just can't shut off their computers after finding this website:) Happy hunting!
Pinterest allows you to organize into categories and "pin" or save ideas from other blogs or websites. This has revolutionized on-line browsing! I love it. Give it try and see how much you love it. WARNING: Not responsible for those who just can't shut off their computers after finding this website:) Happy hunting!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
I Am In Love
Over the years I have tried everything to organize the comings and goings of me and my family. After having children something happened to my memory. I lovingly call it my "mommy mind". My mind randomly chooses appointments or engagements to forget. I have no control over this phenomena to the disbelief of those who are left waiting for me. Talking with other moms, I have discovered that it is something many of us have in common. In an attempt to keep my appointments I tried wall calendars, pocket calendars, cell phone calendars, desk calendars and color coded calendars. I have to admit that even my, big as they come Chip and Dale calendar, did not give me the motivation to look at it (I know...hard to believe right? :)
I have finally found the answer! I love cozi.com. It is a website that allows families to share a single calendar. We share a family password and each family member can access the information using their own email addresses. The website emails me our weekly calendar of events each Sunday night and allows me to email To Do Lists to my children or hubby. Everyone has their own color so the calendar is easy to read and use.
There is also a grocery tab where you can type grocery lists and you have the option of separating the items by store. I love this since I buy some things from Costco and others from the local supermarket or farmers market.
The journal was a feature I did not expect to use. That is, until my 5 year old says or does something so cute and funny...sometimes even humiliating, that I have to write it down to remember :) For example, I was in the grocery store one day with my 3 and 4 year old little boys. My 3 year old insisted on sticking his arm out as people went by and letting them run into his arm. As much as I talked to him about, he would not stop. I was relieved when we finally made it into the check-out line with little harm done. As we progressed forward, to my absolute horror, I saw my son with both hands reached out in front of him grab the lady's rear end in front of us. I was not fast enough to stop it. The lady, expecting to see a pervert, turned around with flames in her eyes. When she saw who had grabbed her rear she said, "Oh, what a cute boy!" I was so relieved that I was able to will my tears back into my tear ducts and somehow move on. Years later that story makes us laugh and laugh. Everyone can use a good laugh as often as we can get one!
The best part of cozi...I can send myself reminders so I don't forget important events or appointments. The website is free to use and I got the app for my iphone so I can take it all with me. Check it out. Don't miss this gem. You will love it!
Getting fit one blog at a time
I have finally found the answer! I love cozi.com. It is a website that allows families to share a single calendar. We share a family password and each family member can access the information using their own email addresses. The website emails me our weekly calendar of events each Sunday night and allows me to email To Do Lists to my children or hubby. Everyone has their own color so the calendar is easy to read and use.
There is also a grocery tab where you can type grocery lists and you have the option of separating the items by store. I love this since I buy some things from Costco and others from the local supermarket or farmers market.
The journal was a feature I did not expect to use. That is, until my 5 year old says or does something so cute and funny...sometimes even humiliating, that I have to write it down to remember :) For example, I was in the grocery store one day with my 3 and 4 year old little boys. My 3 year old insisted on sticking his arm out as people went by and letting them run into his arm. As much as I talked to him about, he would not stop. I was relieved when we finally made it into the check-out line with little harm done. As we progressed forward, to my absolute horror, I saw my son with both hands reached out in front of him grab the lady's rear end in front of us. I was not fast enough to stop it. The lady, expecting to see a pervert, turned around with flames in her eyes. When she saw who had grabbed her rear she said, "Oh, what a cute boy!" I was so relieved that I was able to will my tears back into my tear ducts and somehow move on. Years later that story makes us laugh and laugh. Everyone can use a good laugh as often as we can get one!
The best part of cozi...I can send myself reminders so I don't forget important events or appointments. The website is free to use and I got the app for my iphone so I can take it all with me. Check it out. Don't miss this gem. You will love it!
Getting fit one blog at a time
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