What I've Been Up To Lately

Here is a peak into what I've been working on lately. I had a baby shower coming up and saw this cute idea over at Living Craftily Ever After and knew I had to make one. I have future plans to make one for Addison as well. Aren't they adorable?!

Also, for the aforementioned baby shower, I decided to make some wall letters. Here is how they turned out. I used chipboard letters from Hobby Lobby (which were $0.99 on sale), scrapbook paper, and Mod Podge. Super easy, and I think they turned out pretty cute.

Last but not least, I decided to make a tag blanket. I didn't have any minky fabric on hand, but I did use a soft flannel.The birdie fabric is so cute! I think I purchased it from Hancock Fabrics last year. Oh, and see the little iron-on initial? I wanted to make a bit more personal, and it was obviously super easy to apply. All you need is an iron.

Addison was invited to her first birthday party today. I've been inspired to use my Cricut more and more lately and was able give this bucket from Target (in the dollar section, which cost $2.50...hmmm not really a dollar) a spruce with some vinyl love. Functional and cute. My favorite combination. 

Here's a peak at the back.

I'm tempted to make one for Little A with polka dots. Actually, I think I will. We can always use cute and functional storage buckets. Right?

Menu Planner

Ok, here is the menu planner I made that everyone has been asking for pictures for.  Here is the website I got the idea from.  Most of her blog posts are promoting her Etsy store, but she does have some really cute things and good ideas!  I will let you read her tutorial for directions.  If you like to be organized, this is a great idea.  If you print out all of the sheets, there is room to writethe meals, a grocery list, and even a coupon list.  There is a pocket inside, but I don't have a pic of that right now.  Will add when I get it.  :)  (Ok, I can not figure out why the second picture is sideways...it just keeps doing it, no matter how it's saved, and there's no way to rotate it on here that I know of, so just turn your head sideways! :p  )

Inspiration from my Hubby

Sorry we haven't posted in over a week...what a crazy week it has been!  Today I am trying to play catch-up with my house and get things cleaned up from the weekend, and I was feeling quite overwhelmed this morning.  Just making a mental list of all the things that needed to be done made me want to go back to bed.  Then I was reminded by my husband to start with something small.  He said that as I got small things done then I would be able to see my progress, which would build my confidence and make me more motivated to keep going.  (I then asked him if he'd been reading my blog!)  What a great reminder!  So then I reminded myself that whether it's catching up from the weekend, re-doing a room, working on a big project for work or planning a big event, when you have a large and overwhelming task to complete, break it up into smaller parts.  (Or in the words of a song from my son's favorite TV show, "If a word's too big to build, just break it down and you'll be thrilled.  You can handle it bit by bit!")  So, here's the moral of today's story: Break it down and handle it bit by bit!  Big projects don't have to be overwhelming, just take it one small part at a time! 

Thanks for the inspiration honey!

Use it or Lose it!

Ok, here's my organizing tip for the day.  This is more of a de-cluttering tip.  We've all heard that we should get rid of anything that we don't use in a year's time, but sometimes it can be hard to "prove" to ourselves that we really don't use some things.  (This especially goes for clothes and shoes!)  Well  yesterday I read a tip somewhere that has to do with clothing that I thought was absolutely brilliant.  Here's what you do.  Once a year (could be January, or it could be today), turn all of the hangers in your closet around backwards.  As you wear an item, re-hang it with the hanger turned the correct way.  At the end of a year's time, anything that you haven't worn will still be backwards.  That way you can quickly identify and remove items that you truly don't use.  And just think...the more clothes you get rid of that you don't wear, the neater and more spacious your closet will feel!

So Much to Store, So Little Space!

This seems to be a common problem among...well...everyone.  I don't think I've ever heard anyone say, "I just have too much space and not enough stuff to fill it up."  (If you know someone like that, please have them share their secrets with me!)  One of my biggest challenges is keeping my craft stuff organized.  I loooooove crafts of all kinds.  I have scrapbooking stuff, card-making stuff, Cricut accessories, kid-friendly items, and photos galore!  After a year or so of moving and moving again and not really having a place for my crafts to call home, I have finally gotten everything organized and in place.  (My motto, afterall, is "A place for everything.")  Here are some "tools" that I find indispensable when it comes to getting project areas organized:

Drawers work great for my Cricut Cartidges, glue, stamps, and large accessories

Boxes for kids' crafts, plus mail organizers for paper

My scrapbooking bag, which now mainly holds paper!

Boxes for photos and small bins for scissors, markers and pens

Kitchen Tips Courtesy of Martha

So, I love Martha. I am somewhat envious of her talent to decorate and organize. There is a great video of her on the Today Show (heart) sharing some tips for a beautiful and functional kitchen. I love when life is simplified.

More on Starting Simple

OK. Let's say you want to organize your entire house. Where do you begin?? Well, the first thing to do is to abandon the thought that you will be able to get everything done in one day. Dismiss thoughts of getting it all done in one weekend. And if you are procrastinating because you're "waiting until you have time," you will probably never start! Organizing takes time, but that's OK! You don't have to do everything at once. Don't get overwhelmed. Start with something small and do what you can when you can. Take 10 minutes before Cupcake Wars comes on to clean out your kitchen junk drawer. Then instead of dreading having to sift through every time you need to find something, you'll open the drawer and be proud of how organized it is. Doing the small things first (like the junk drawer, the bathroom medicine cabinet, or you kids' sock drawers) can go a long way in boosting your organizing self-confidence. Once you get the small things under your belt, you are ready to tackle a bigger project (more tips on how to do that will follow, and see previous post about list-making!) Try to finish one room or area before moving on to something else. Leaving a task half-done can be discouraging, and it can just add to the clutter and mess around you. And remember, Don't Stress. A home should be a calm and inviting place, and getting things organized can do wonders for how you feel about yourself and your home!

Small Beginnings

OK, here goes! Ever since we decided to start blogging our ideas, I have been making a mental list of things I wanted to post about. Then it occurred to me that making lists is a very good place to start when it comes to getting organized. I could not live without my lists! When I wake up in the morning and know that I have a lot to do that day, I head downstairs and make a list of what needs to get done. As I go through the day, I cross things off the list as I get them done, and I add to the list as I notice more things I'd like to do. The same principle can be applied to tackling a cluttered room or closet, or any area of your home or office! So, here's how to make a list work:

1. Grab a pen and paper and walk around the room/area. Write down everything: things to be put away, sorted through, boxed up, dusted, cleaned, rearranged, washed, ironed, thrown away, or given to Goodwill.
2. Don't go in order. Some of the first things you write down may not be the easiest to accomplish. Start with what's most obvious and what can be done quickly and work your way up to the more time-consuming stuff.
3. Cross things off as soon as you finish! Seeing things crossed off a list can be very satisfying!
4. It doesn't have to all get done in one day! As long as you have your list, you'll never lose your place or forget what you've already done!

Check out this website for some list-making ideas!