Simple Spaces - The Linen Closet

Is it Friday already?  Time for some coffee!

I lost track of the days this week.  Partly because it is conference week for my kids so they haven't had school yesterday or today.  I went to four conferences back to back yesterday morning.  I really enjoy all of the kids' teachers this year.  They are fantastic.  I am happy to report that aside from a little handwriting neatness that we need to work on, they are all doing great!  We are approaching the 100th day of school and I can't wait to see what is in store for my kindergartner this week.  Should be lots of fun!

I have been without my computer this week and I am working from my husband's now...I can't believe how much I rely on my computer for my schedules and meal plans!  I have gotten so used to making a grocery list from my meal plan and then not looking at it until I wake up each morning.  This week it has been a challenge to remember what I had on my plan without being able to look at it.  I guess I will go back to either posting it here, or just keeping a hard copy printed somewhere.  My hubby took my laptop to the shop and apparently there is something wrong with the mother board, which means bad things.  They may not even be able to recover everything I have stored on it.  (Which also includes our finances, so that's not good.)

All computer problems and wacky schedules aside, I did get to my simple space this week so I wanted to share it here with you today. :)  I chose the linen closet this week because it has really been bothering me.  Since we moved in here over a year and a half ago, it has become the stashing ground for just about everything!  But no more!  It is now "simply organized," and I am loving it!

Before - A Cluttered Mess!

 

After - "Simply Organized!"

The bottom half -used for spare linens, pillows, and sleeping bags.

The top half - used for overstock items (lotions, toothpaste, medicines, etc.) I am still searching for more containers to store these items and simplify even more.  There's nothing like a good container to help organize things!

How do you feel about using containers/baskets around the house to organize? Do you like to use labels?  What is your favorite organizing tip?  I'd love to know!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Simple Spaces - The Master Bathroom

I am so excited to introduce a new topic on my blog!   I was going to share my first post in February, but I got so motivated that I couldn't wait.  In keeping with my new Housekeeping Mission Statement for 2013, "This home is a peaceful, simply organized, warm and inviting sanctuary..." I am focusing on the "simply organized part.  Each week I will pick an area of my home to clean, sort, organize and simplify. 

Last week I chose the Master Bathroom.  It's been bugging me for a while.  The spaces under the counter were crowded and the drawers were overflowing with an assortment of things that have collected since we lived here.  The before and after pictures sort of tell all.

Before - under my sink

Before the simplifying process there were lotions and shampoos and other hair products and misc. items all thrown under the sink together.  I took everything out, wiped down the surface, and started sorting.  Honestly, a lot of it was garbage.  I had to really consider whether or not I was ever going to use some of it again and if not, get rid of it.  I gathered all the jewelry together and sorted through all the makeup.  I put the jewelry in a container that I bought, and the makeup that I keep separate for special occasions in a travel bag.  The basket holds all of my manicure items/hand lotions.  (I like to pamper myself from time to time.)


After - under my sink

One of my biggest frustrations in the morning used to be how hard it was to find anything in my bathroom drawer.  Hair bands, makeup, glasses case and more were all one big jumbled mess! (As you can plainly see.)


Before - my drawer

 Again, I took everything out of the drawer and wiped down the inside.  As I was removing things I put away any makeup that wasn't being used on a daily basis, found a home for all my hair bands and bobby pins, and threw out any garbage.  Then I began to sort through what was left.  There wasn't much to put back in the drawer.  I don't know why I didn't do this sooner!  MUCH better!


After - my drawer

As with my menu planning, I find inspiration from other bloggers.  Two of my favorite organizing blogs are I'm an Organizing Junkie, and the organizing section of Clover Lane.  Sometimes you just need a little extra encouragement to "jump start" the organizing process.  But once you start, I can tell you from experience, it's addicting! 

I can hardly wait to share my next simple space with you.  My goal is to de-clutter as much as possible in 2013.  What kind of organizing projects are you working on in your home?  I'd love to hear from you!



The Playroom!

We have this little room above our garage that immediately became the kids' playroom when we moved in last Summer.  Because it is not heated, it got a little neglected over the Winter.  Every time someone would go to put something away, it would just get tossed in there instead of put back in its place.  That's how it ended up like this...

Before

For the past two weekends I have asked the kids to give me an hour a day to work on the mess.  At first, it was really hard to know where to begin.  With some loving direction, they sorted, organized, threw out trash, and finally got it all clean.  Now it looks like this...

You can see the floor!

Games, Craft Supplies and Puzzles

Reading and Drawing Corner

I'm so extremely proud of my kiddos for a job well done!  Just in time to enjoy it with company next weekend!  Way to go!

I could still use one more set of shelves in there for storage, but that'll have to wait.  Garage sale season will soon be upon us and I'll keep my eye out for just what I need.

My March Project(s)

One of my favorite bloggers, Rachel Anne, over at Home Sanctuary, is encouraging her readers to "March to the Finish" in March.  At the beginning of this month she asked us to join her in picking one project that has been put off and take steps to getting it done.  My first choice was the garage mess that has been haunting me since we moved in last June.  We unpacked everything we needed, and the rest of the boxes got stacked in the garage to be gone through at a later date.  We also inherited 50 boxes or so of a game that my husband created with his best friend several years ago.  A lot of them sold, but now there is the question of what to do with the ones that didn't.

Anyway, I've made a little progress on emptying out some boxes, getting rid of trash, and general cleaning.  My next step will be to start opening up boxes and take a good chunk of what we don't use to a local charity.  I wish I could say that I pounded it all out in one weekend, but that would be impossible.  I will say that this project inspired me/my husband to work hard last weekend and get some other things off our list.

1.  He primed our bold blue guest room to ready it for a fresh coat of paint, hopefully this weekend.
2.  We planted some starters for tomatoes and peas.
3.  I raked up the massive leaves pile in our front yard, which filled a large waste can and four more bags.
4.  My husband sprayed around the outside of the house to rid of the annoying box elder bugs and defend against other pests.

In general, we got a lot accomplished around the house.  It was nice to work together as a team and get things marked off our list.

Other things I want to work on this Spring (not necessarily March):
1.  Re-paint the boys' dressers and install new hardware.
2.  Put a splash of color in my daughter's bedroom.
3.  Decorate the downstairs.  (There is currently nothing on the walls.)

I suppose I better stop adding things to my list before I get overwhelmed!  This house is bigger than our last, so I sometimes have a hard time just keeping up with the general housework, let alone getting extra projects done start to finish. 

What projects are currently on your list?  Is there something you need to start, or simply put the finishing touches on that you could mark off your list this month?  I'd love to know.

Have a great weekend!


~Melissa

A Pantry Filled With Love

Labor Day weekend we went over to my In-Laws and canned sweet pickles.  It is actually a three day process, and let me tell you, I'm glad that we did it at their house instead of mine.  Mostly because it stinks!  Her kitchen smelled like vinegar for hours!  I gladly endured the smell for a time though, in exchange for 16 beautiful jars of pickles. :)

After pricing out what a jar of peaches cost now a days, I talked my Mother in Law into helping me can some for my pantry.  I'd done it once before with my Sister-in-Law while living in Spokane.  There's something satisfying about grabbing a jar of fruit from the pantry that you know how much hard work went into it, and exactly what ingredients! 

The three boxes of peaches we bought on Tuesday were ripe enough a day early on Thursday to peel and can.  Luckily, my MIL was willing to change her plans and come over to take care of things!  We used the small kitchen in the basement to work.  I'm told that it's the perfect "canning kitchen." 

Originally my Sister in Law had planned to come out and can applesauce with us, but she was unable to make it. That left us with 4, 40lb boxes of apples to make into applesauce!  We gave one to a friend of mine and set to work on the rest yesterday, bright and early.  My MIL arrived at 8:00am, ready with the supplies needed.  We set up the kitchen and recruited everyone to help.  The kids removed stickers from the apples while my MIL and I sliced them for boiling.

Once we got the first pot boiled, my MIL taught me how to use the "Victoria."  It was a very impressive machine!  You put the boiled apples in the funnel, core, seeds, peels and all.  The sauce comes out one end, while the waste comes out another.  We took turns cranking the handle...even RL and JS gave it a try!  It was definitely a family event. :)

After we had enough applesauce, we poured it into jars and began the processing.  I would have to say, one of my favorite parts of the day was celebrating when we would here the "popping" noise of a jar sealing.  It was a very fun filled day and I am so thankful that my MIL is willing to come over and take the time to teach me the art of canning.  It is a very useful skill to have, and very cost effective.  

Cost of peaches including fruit and supplies: Just under $1.50/jar.  In my local grocery store right now, a jar of Dole Sliced Peaches goes for $3.59!

Cost of applesauce per jar including fruit and supplies: $0.58!  Yes, that's 58 cents per jar!  I don't know what applesauce is going for in the store right now, but it's not that!  It would have been even less, but we left some apples for slicing and dehydrating as snacks this week. :)

Time spent with family learning a valuable skill: priceless!

Now that I have all these wonderful jars of pickles, peaches, and applesauce, I needed a pantry space to store them.  I decided to make over a room at the bottom of my stairs that already has built in shelves.  It originally had paint in it, but it serves much better as a pantry!  Now, I have the perfect pantry filled with lots of love! :)

Before

After

The Other Side of After

28 Bags in 28 Days - Day 1!

"The greatest wealth is to live with little, for there is never want where to mind is satisfied." -Lucretias

Hello! I'm super excited to say that I began my 28 day challenge today! I divided my house into zones, and my zones into areas, and today I tackled the entryway closet. Believe it or not, I filled a large kitchen trash bag with items to donate that were outgrown or simply not being used. I straightened the shoes and threw out trash that mysteriously makes its way into the closet. I also went through the scarves, hats and mittens tub and found a few items to give away. My "to donate" bag will go right out to my van when I head out to pick up my kids from school.

Yesterday, I was so excited that I couldn't resist getting a little jump start on purging. I began by cleaning out our craft drawers in the dining room and sorting crayons, markers, and other art supplies. Yes, I sorted my kids' crayons by color. I divided the loot in half and put some back in their crayon bucket and some in a travel size container. The markers found a nice home in a used Pirouette tin. I love reusable containers! I also filled our kitchen trash can with old coloring books and other papers and projects that didn't make the "keep" cut.
That's all I have to report today. I probably won't post every day, but I wanted to get off to a good start.

You're welcome to join in the fun this month. I look forward to reporting my progress, and the great feeling I'll have when it's all done!

28 Bags in 28 Days

Good morning! And welcome to Company Girl Coffee! I'm on my second cup this morning, as I didn't get a very good night's sleep last night. It was one of those nights where I had way too much on my mind to sleep. I thought about blogging, but it may not have made much sense at 4:30am. I am not much of a morning person!

We're nearing the end of January. For me, January is a month of getting back on track with routines and schedules. Kids are back in school and I find myself thinking about a little early Spring Cleaning. This year, the "urge to purge" has hit me very hard, since we will be moving in June. I've come up with a little February Challenge for myself that I think will be a lot of fun.

I call it 28 bags in 28 days. I know, not a very original name. I'm not going for idea of the year here though. Actually, I can't even take credit for the idea. It's a combo of several things I've tried over time. I've taken cues from FLYlady and divided my home into zones. The idea to do a certain number of bags in a certain number of days came from my friend over at Clover Lane who did this challenge herself last year during Lent. As suggested in several organizing books that I've read, I will be using the "give away, throw away, and put away" method. I picked February because of a fun contest Org Junkie did last year with one space in your home.

28 days, 28 bags. Four weeks of glorious purging. Doesn't that sound fun? After all, I can't take it with me to heaven, so might as well slim it down to the bear minimum to move. I'll be sharing it right here as I go, so stay tuned for more excitement! :)

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matthew 6:19-21

Have a great weekend all!

~Melissa

Sanctuary in the Middle of Change

I've been thinking a lot this week about my Homekeeping Mission Statement for 2011. The first time I wrote one, was back in 2008, when I joined the Company Girl fun and dove into Small Things.

Back then, I had a one year old, a three year old, a four year old, a five year old, and a six year old! Needless to say, I needed that mission statement to keep me sane! Today, my children are a little older, and four out of five of them are in school. Though the wording has changed some, the main statement (in bold) has stuck with me.

HOMEKEEPING MISSION 2011
I want my home to be, peaceful, simple, and cozy. I will value my relationships with my husband and children by showing them unconditional love and acceptance. I will maintain a reasonable housekeeping schedule and designate chores to keep clutter at bay. I will decorate tastefully and affordably, creating a relaxing environment for my family and all who enter my home.

Do you recognize the three elements in the beginning? They may be different words, but they are still the same three legs of an old reliable stool. Peace, Order, and Beauty. You can find the origin of this story on Rachel Anne's Blog.

And now for my big announcement:
My family will be moving to a new location in June of 2011! We have the opportunity to begin a new business adventure in my husband's home town, where his parents still live. I will be blogging more about it in the future, but today I simply wanted to share the good news with you over coffee.

Over the next several months, I will be living out my Homekeeping Mission Statement while I pack, organize, and slim down our belongings. I'll be honest with you. Maintaining sanctuary in our home while preparing for the big move will be a challenge. Hopefully, with a little patience and a lot of prayer, this Company Girl will be able to keep peace, order, and beauty alive in the middle of it all. :)

May all of your homes be blessed in 2011!
~Melissa

To Keep, or Not to Keep...Sentimental Attachments

I have been thinking a lot lately about the reasons why I keep things. I would not consider myself a "pack rat" by definition. (A collector of miscellaneous useless objects, according to Dictionary.com) I would, however, fit into the category of someone who keeps things for sentimental reasons.

In the past 24 hours I have read two articles that addressed this issue. One was about making decisions regarding sentimental clutter, and the other was OrgJunkie's article on letting go of stuff and clutter excuses. When addressing the issue of emotional attachment, OrgJunkie said "Our memories are so wrapped up in physical material possessions…..that isn’t where the memory is and you know it. It’s in your heart…the stuff just triggers the memory for you….so many of us are afraid we will forget."

That's me. I tend to keep things because they trigger an emotional memory for me. Perhaps I think one day I will not be able to recall certain moments in life unless I have a physical item to cling to. Maybe I just have a hard time letting go because I wish that I could hold on to the past. Some things I have kept simply because they remind me of a loved one that has passed away.

I'm working on it. I don't save cards anymore unless they have a special, hand written letter in them, (like the ones from my grandmother) and those have a small box that houses them. I no longer collect key chains or other souvenirs when we go on vacation. If I really want something I buy a t-shirt instead and then when it's worn out and its usefulness to me is gone, I toss it. I take pictures of my kids' special projects and store them on my computer instead of in a box.

This challenge has really got me looking around my house and asking myself a lot of questions about the things I own. I'm finding myself on the road to simplicity and I think I'll like it there once I arrive!

What is your #1 reason for keeping things around?

Monday Miscellany

It's Monday, and I'm ready to face another week! If only I hadn't stayed up so late last night!

Do you like the new look of my blog? I figured, as long as I'm giving my laundry room a makeover, I might as well do the same for my blog! Thanks, A, for letting me be your guinea pig as you learn a new program! :) I love how colorful it is.

Speaking of the laundry room, I'm still making progress. I have cleaned off the desk and am ready to take it apart. The huge "L" shape just does not fit well in there, so for now, we'll just keep the hutch. I'll be spending quite a bit of time down there today doing laundry, so hopefully I'll get a lot more accomplished.

I took Saturday off from the project to spend the morning at a friend's house making projects of a more creative kind. My sweet friend A (the same one who designed my blog) let me use her craft supplies to make valentine boxes for my kids. Last year the valentines that they brought home got spread all over the house. This way, they can be kept in their special containers. Thanks again A!

Today over at Home Sanctuary Rachel Anne is helping us Menu Plan for an entire month! I tend to be a weekly planner, (I have about 9 weeks of menus, recipes, and grocery lists saved on my computer so far) but if you've never menu planned before, her instructions are a great way to start! Then there's no guess work involved in what's for dinner. :)

Well, I had best get started on my laundry and other chores for the day!
Have a great week all!
~Melissa~

Company Girl Coffee 2.5.10

Welcome! Come on in and have a virtual cup of coffee or tea and visit for a while. It's been a busy week here. It was packed full of appointments, lunch dates, and school awards assembly. I also worked on my new project, the laundry room. Many of you know Org Junkie. This month I joined her 28 day Organizing Challenge. You can just scroll down to read about my progress, or take a look at my before pictures.

In my perfect world, the laundry room would be spotless, with cupboards for this, and shelves for that. There would be a beautiful tile floor and neat, organized stations for laundry, household supplies, and perhaps even some linen storage. I dream of stainless steal, front load washer/dryer on pedestals so that I can do the laundry with ease. It's a picture perfect, sparkling room right out of Home and Garden magazine!

But let's get real here...

I am lucky to have a fairly large sized laundry room. It runs almost the full length of my basement. There is plenty of room for junk, um, I mean storage, under the stairs. I've got floor to ceiling shelves at one end of it that serve as my overstock pantry. Plus, even though it's under ground, there are two windows to let the sunlight in. The problem is, since the room is so large, it has become a collect-all space! Thus, the reason for my joining in the challenge.

Yesterday a friend of mine came over and together, we came up with a plan. It has three phases, and I will be sharing them here. Stay tuned this month for the great transformation! :)

What's your "catch all" room in your house?

Have a great weekend everyone!
~Melissa~

The Laundry Room, Day 3

I thought I'd post an update on how my laundry room is coming along. I'm having so much fun with this challenge! If you don't know what I'm talking about, just scroll down to the next post and take a look at my before pictures.

On Monday I started by just picking up any obvious trash that I could find. Not just trash, but broken toys and full coloring books and whatever else looked worn out and no longer able to be used. That filled up one bag.

Then yesterday I dug in and began to go through some of the containers on my shelves. I threw out any expired food in my pantry overstock and re-arranged the food in an orderly manner. In my household supply overstock I threw away any expired medicines and old lotions. I also went through all my cleaning supplies and took inventory of what I have and what I need.

Today I picked up any stray toys and returned them to their proper homes. I packed up a few files that we have to keep for another 5 years but won't need to get into unless we get audited and moved them to the garage. I sorted the dress-up box and tossed any torn, unusable items in it.

When my DH got home, I discussed the idea of separating the parts of the desk (which is a whole other mess) and just keeping the hutch up so that the kids would still have a place for their computer and playstation, but it would take up less space. He agreed.

Tomorrow I have a good friend that I trust coming over to help me take inventory of what I should keep, give away, sell, move, or just plain throw out. She's also going to help me come up with the best way to use the space with the furniture and storage containers that I already own. Yay!

Progress! I'm feeling better already. Well, that is, until I have to confront what's lurking under my stairs...but I'll save that for another post.

The Clutter Trap! Organizing Matters

It's Monday, and it's the first day of February! I love it when the first day of the month falls on a Monday. It seems to motivate me to keep moving and get things done. :)

This month I have joined ORG Junkie's 28 Day Organizing Challenge. I am finally fed up with the way that my laundry room looks! It functions as a laundry room/ toy room/ furnace room/ tool room/ craft supply room/ pantry/ playstation & computer room! You think I'm kidding? Just take a look at my before pictures! :) It is a clutter trap, but I'm up for the challenge! If you are fed up with a room, or even a small space in your house, and you're up for the challenge, check out ORG Junkie and join in the fun! Did I mention there are prizes involved?

Ready, Set, ORGANIZE!

Scheduling Matters

Today I went and spoke at my church to a group of wonderful ladies about creating sanctuary in our homes. Most of the material that I used was borrowed from what I have learned from Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary. What I realized as I was putting together my notes last night for my talk today is that I have virtually taken everything that I have learned from her about peace, order, and beauty, and adapted it to be my own.

Over the years I have read many books on organization. I've tried lots of different "systems" and developed my own methods by trial and error. What I have arrived at (at least for this season in my life) was not something I came up with over night. I spend time on it every year (at least once a year) evaluating what still works for me, and what needs to be changed.

If you're reading this and you're thinking that it's time to take some steps of your own to work out a reasonable housekeeping schedule, then I would recommend visiting Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary. Don't try to do all the steps in one day. It will just seem overwhelming. Walk through them one step at a time, one day at time. It's worth the initial time investment to arrive at a doable, "real world" housekeeping schedule.

Thanks, Rachel, for all of your inspiration and encouragement!

Company Girl Interview

Welcome to my blog! If you are a first time visitor, then this will be the perfect way for you to get to know me better. I started this blog a little over a year ago to record my thoughts and the comings and goings of this family of seven. Most of all, I just wanted a place to talk about what matters to me.

Before I even dreamed of having my own blog, I stumbled onto a blog called Raising Five. Katherine is a woman after my own heart. She is an incredible woman of God that is raising five children of her own. She is full of all kinds of wisdom! It is from her blog that I found her sister, Rachel Anne, and Home Sanctuary. Rachel Anne has not only taught me that sanctuary is in the small things, but that there is so much more to being a homemaker than cleaning and laundry!

I am honored to be a part of her first newsletter. I only wish that our interview could have been face to face. One day I will meet her in person, but for now, I am a devoted Company Girl, pride and true! :)

Thanks for visiting! I hope you enjoy the complete answers to the questions in our interview.

Q: As a mom of 5 young children, what is your secret for getting out the door all together?

A: I line them up and count heads! Seriously, I make sure to get ready first. Otherwise, I get caught up in helping everyone else and I rush out the door frazzled. Those who are old enough get ready on their own. If I know that we are going somewhere in advance then I have the kids put out their shoes and anything we are taking with us, by the door the night before. (Book bags, bibles, etc.) Don't forget to allow time to fasten all those seat belts!

Q: How do you manage to have some personal time, or is that impossible?

A: My kids know that from 7:00-7:30am I sit on the couch, read my bible, and pray. That's mommy and Jesus time and that's all there is to it. When my children were babies I used to watch tv shows like Joyce Meyers and Life in the Word while doing a midnight or 3:00am feeding. I have learned to take what I can get. I used to think that "quiet time" meant no one else in the room and no noise going on around me. What I have noticed is that as I have explained to my children how important my morning devotion time is to me, they respect that and don't interrupt me unless it is very important. I have even seen my oldest (7) reading her bible during this time. This makes my heart leap with joy! In addition to that, I participate in Women's Bible Study once a week, listen to CDs in my kitchen, and keep a variety of books on my nightstand to read before bed.

Q: What advice would you give to a new mom who is trying to get organized?

A: It's not about arriving at "organized." It's about finding out what works for you in the season you are in. If you have to write out a list every day from brush your teeth in the morning to wash your face and go to bed at night, then do it! At least you will be able to look back at the end of your day and know that you accomplished something. I recommend a bare-bones plan. Sit down and write out time blocks without using the clock. For example, label your time blocks "morning routine", "afternoon routine", and "evening routine", and refer to them often. Keep it simple. Revisit and revise your schedule as your needs change.

Q: Do you have a favorite verse?

A: Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Q: What is your biggest challenge in raising a "large" family?

A: Adapting discipline to fit the needs of 5 very different children. Not only are they different in age, but their personalities are so different! Each of them is unique by God's design and they respond differently to rules and boundaries. We have the same rules for all of them, but the consequences to breaking those rules often vary with each child.

Q: What do you love most about being a mom?

A: Without a doubt, it's the way that my children love me unconditionally. They remind me of Christ's love for me every day. They hug me without letting go first and they are not afraid to say "I love you mommy" a thousand times a day!

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

A: Actually, I'm somewhat of a homebody. I love being an at home mom and I don't really have much of a desire to travel to far off places. I don't even like to drive more than 10 miles from home! But if I could go anywhere, it would be to the ocean. Not your busy, tourist attraction beach, but a quiet, secluded, sandy beach somewhere. That way I could take long walks with my family, play in the waves, build sandcastles, and even spend some quiet time alone with my Lord watching a peaceful sunset over the vast ocean that He created. Some of my fondest memories are of summer vacations spent on the Oregon Coast with my grandparents.

Have a great day everyone and remember, Sanctuary is in the Small Things!

Menu Planning

When better to get back on track Menu Planning than the first Monday of the year? Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary has some great advice on how to plan an entire month's worth or more of meals with some very easy, very practical steps.

I have been menu planning for a while now. We have a large family, and the last thing I need to worry about during the busiest time of my day (the evening) is that ever lingering question "what's for dinner?" So I sat down and broke out some files and some paper and began to gather some of our favorite meals. From there, I started to piece together a few weekly menus. I tried to do a month at a time, but I just couldn't commit to sticking to it. Something always came up or ingredients got used too soon. With just one week and a grocery list though, I can stick to a budget and for the most part, be faithful to make what is on the menu for each day.

When a menu is a success, I enter the recipes and the groceries needed into my computer. I then print off a master copy, put it in a protective sheet, and place it in a binder. That's how I am up to 8 weeks of working menus for my family. Now and then I try a new recipe, and I keep those in a separate protective sheet until I can work them into their own menu.

I try to keep my menus pretty simple. I use crock pot meals on nights when I know my husband will be home late. I will put at least two nights of chicken in so that I can cook the chicken for Thursday while making Tuesday's meal, or put beef together with beef. (You get the idea.) I schedule leftovers on a weekly basis. I will even confess that sometimes when I'm cooking something elaborate for my husband and myself, I feed the kids cereal. (They love it!)

Menu planning is all about what works for your family and your schedule. It doesn't have to be some complicated, perfect plan. I've tried several ways and this is what has worked best for me so far. If I could give any advice though, I would say definitely save your menus from weeks/months past. That way you can look back and see what worked and use it again. Take it from someone who's tried many ideas. It will save you time in the long run.

Well, I'm off to see what's for dinner this week and maybe even make a couple more new menus by gathering recipes from my stash. : )

Have a great week!

Playroom Clean-Up

Yesterday I finally got fed up with the incredible mess that has been collecting in our play room/spare bedroom. There comes a time when you have to stop planning and talking about something and just DO IT! Just so that no one will think that I'm exaggerating over how bad it got, I have before and after photos. I'm embarrassed to admit that I let it get as bad as it did. I just felt overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin the organizing process.
BEFORE:

AFTER:










All excuses aside, I'm glad it's done. I have done a few extra things to try to keep it organized.

1. I moved the books out to a cozy little niche in our downstairs living room to make a "reading corner." That way, there is a separate place where the kids can go to grab a book and make themselves comfortable.

2. I got rid of my "misc. toys" drawer. As a girlfriend of mine pointed out, there is no reason why everything shouldn't be able to be separated into specific categories. If it's miscellaneous, does it really need to be kept around? This way there are specific "stations" that can be rotated during play time.

3. I will complete the process by labeling the different drawers and boxes of toys. I might even add a cute picture for my youngest children, who can't read yet.

4. (And this is the hard one) I will teach my kids the importance of putting things away as you go along. Before I allow them to take out something new, they are going to be required to put away what they are currently playing with. Perhaps I'll come back and touch on this one again at a later date, when I've had time to work on it!

Everyone has different ways of organizing. What works for me now will probably evolve into something different as my kids grow older. It's not really what system you use that matters, but that it works for you. For more ideas on playroom organization, check out organizing junkie's monthly roundup back in June. http://orgjunkie.com/2008/06/rounding-up-the-playroom.html There's also a great post on her site right now about organizing the entry way to prepare for school to start. But I'll tackle that one another day! : )